Dynasty Scouts Player Profile: DeVante Parker

DeVante Parker was a very good prospect coming out of high school, although he was by no means considered the top of the class when he committed to play at the University of Louisville. As a true freshman, Parker played in eleven games and finished with 18 catches for 291 yards but caught some attention as he lad the team with six touchdowns. As a sophomore, Parker played in every game on his way to a 40/744/10 line. Parker continued his ascent with a very strong campaign in his junior year finishing with a 55/885/12 line in twelve games played. Many thought that Parker would leave after his junior season and enter the NFL draft with his quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, but he decided to return for his senior season. Prior to his senior year, Parker suffered a foot injury that limited him to only six games but he still found himself on the Second Team All-ACC as he had 43/855/5 throughout the rest of the season.

Size – Parker measured in at 6’3” and 209 pounds at the NFL combine. He’s able to use his large body to create an advantage at the catch point. Interestingly, despite his size, he hasn’t shown an ability to play a physical game and sometimes struggles with press coverage as he can be seen playing smaller than one would expect.

Hands – Parker’s hands are one of his calling cards as he consistently high points the ball and does not drop many passes. He has shown a large catch radius with his wingspan and height, which should lead to quarterbacks feeling more comfortable throwing the ball to an area where only he can catch it when he is in coverage, because they know that he can make the play.

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Blocking – Run blocking is by no means the best use of Parker. He just is not that good at it. This is something that can be taught and he does have the size that he should be more than capable of blocking given proper technique and coaching. I do worry a bit, depending on his landing spot, because some teams put a strong emphasis on the ability to run and pass out of the same personnel groupings. If a player cannot run block appropriately, this could minimize snaps in such a scheme. Hopefully, any team will see the tools that Parker brings to the table and will coach this aspect of his game up so that they can deploy him as often as possible.

Speed/Athleticism – Generally, this is where Parker struggles and did so even before he injured his foot. Parker does not have top end speed and often wins while someone is tight in coverage. Given his ability to win while the ball is in the air, this is not a negative. I am not as worried about a player like Parker and being overly reliant on the big play. Not being so reliant on this speed allows him to be more consistent as he works his way down the field.

Awareness/Body Control – Parker’s work in the air and his ability to control his body in reacting to the ball is a thing of beauty. He is able to make contested catches that would otherwise seem uncatchable. Parker times his reactions perfectly and has shown that his technical skills will be where he wins with some support from his size and athleticism, rather than vice versa. Personally, this is one of my favorite skills a receiver can exhibit on film. The whole concept of always being open, even when a guy is in coverage because he will beat them in the air is almost a necessity in today’s NFL.

Routes – Right now, Parker’s routes seem a little lazy as he does not get off the line quickly and run sharp routes. On occasion, Parker can be seen rounding his routes off. That said, most receivers I have seen are not the strongest route runners coming out of college, so this isn’t by any means going to prevent him from finding success. Players often develop stronger route running as they spend more time within a system, with professional coaches, and with a top of the line quarterback.

Player Comparison –Parker really is similar in play style to last year’s rookie Davante Adams and veteran Hakeem Nicks. It is easy to get too caught up in who Hakeem Nicks has become over the last couple of year, but he used to be a very good outside threat, particularly in contested situations. Given that Adams is a darling to many hoping for a breakout, hopefully Parker will land on a team where he is a little less buried on the depth chart.

Final Say – I absolutely love Parker and have ever since the first time I saw him play. That said, I also question whether he has the true upside to be a top wide receiver in this league or if he is more likely to end up playing the role of possession receiver with limited upside, both in fantasy and actual football terms. Parker will likely, at the very least, be able to continue to be a red zone threat as he showed during his time at the University of Louisville as well as continue to grow into a strong intermediate receiver. His ability to get up and make the difficult catch will likely lead to Parker earning the trust of his quarterback. He has a strong athletic profile and good size, but by no means is that the end all for a receiver.

The interesting aspect to Parker is he has a strong game on tape, has the athletic profile, etc., but it is still completely unclear whether he will end up as a top receiver over the long term or if he is simply a player with a high floor that will be immediately productive with the possibility of tailing off down the road. It is quite possible that Parker ends up with numbers as we’ve seen from Keenan Allen to this point – capable of immediately producing in the NFL because of his strong technique at this point and if he will be able to build off of that production.

It’ll be interesting to see where he ends up because he could be wasted in a poor offensive situation, or he could truly explode if given the opportunity to pair up with Andrew Luck in Indianapolis or Teddy Bridgewater in Minnesota. Either way, if he can build up a rapport with this quarterback he should be able to maintain target volume given his skillset.

Admittedly, in the long term, I am a bit concerned with his foot. I think it is most likely that it has little to no impact on his future, but his current rookie draft price does not seem to properly take that into account. We have seen how leg injuries impacted Nicks and sapped his production rather quickly in what looked to be a promising career. Tread lightly.

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