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Position
Wide receiver
School
Louisville
Size
6'3, 207 pounds
Strengths
Parker is one of the smoothest operating receivers you'll ever see. He isn't very sudden, but he's smooth in and out of his breaks and can really setup defenders well. The clip below shows how Parker can gain separation. He's at full speed then plants and breaks outside. The throw is late, but the defender still didn't have a chance.
Parker is a fantastic athlete. He's a great vertical threat and can really get up for the football. He has great ball skills along with great body control and can adjust to almost any throw. He's a guy that you can trust on those 50-50 balls, especially in the redzone. Louisville loved to throw the fade to him on the goalline and had a ton of success doing it. The clip below shows off Parker's vertical ability. He's running neck and neck with the defender, but is able to jump up and pluck the ball right above him.
Parker has a massive catch radius. If the ball is thrown anywhere near him, odds are that he's going to come down with it. He possesses very soft hands and routinely catches the ball away from his frame. He looks very natural catching the football.
Weaknesses
Parker isn't a sudden, quick twitch guy. Because of this, don't expect a ton after the catch. He'll have a few splash plays here and there, but overall he lacks elusiveness. It takes him a while to get up to speed. He's a little lethagic out of his stance which may cause some release issues at the next level.
Summary
Devante Parker's length and athletic ability are going to make him a very productive receiver in the NFL. He's going to be an instant redzone threat. If he gets in the right offense, he could rake in touchdowns from year one. He's the clear number three receiver for me and I'm expecting him to come off of the board in that 11-15 range. The Vikings, Browns, Dolphins and 49ers make the most sense.
Draft Projection
Mid first