Name: Steven Parker
Steven Parker scouting report: Tall, rangy 2014 safety
Parker is one of the top prospects in the state of Oklahoma.
School and hometown: Jenks (Ok.) High School
Position: Safety
Height and weight: 6’2 and 175 pounds
Ratings: A consensus four-star prospect in the 247Sports composite ranking, Parker is ranked as the fifth-best player in the state of Oklahoma by that service and a top-20 safety nationally. Rivals has the 6-2, 175-pound prospect as the second-best player in the Sooner state, behind Norman quarterback David Cornwell and ahead of star defensive end Deondre Clark, who is an extremely impressive player in his own right. SoonerScoop.com named Parker as their Oklahoma Junior of the Year after he helped Jenks to a state title.
Offers: Parker holds offers from Alabama, Arizona State, Kansas State, Memphis, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, Texas A&M, Utah, Vanderbilt.
Twitter: @lil_Stevie21
Highlights:
Steven Parker Highlight Video-Class of 2014-Safety-Jenks High School (via Steven Parker)
Scouting report:
Listed variously between 175 and 185 pounds, Parker looks much closer to the former in pictures and has a long, lanky frame that needs to add some weight in college, but appears to be of the type that won’t ever look physically imposing on the field.
A pure safety prospect who covers a significant amount of ground with long strides, Parker has nice suddenness with his movements and the lateral ability to make tackles in open space. In such situations, Parker’s arm length and overall height give him a wide tackling radius, but he doesn’t have a great deal of natural explosive strength as a tackler when uncoiling out of his stance.
In the passing game, the Jenks product uses his length and range to break up passes and occasionally pull down interceptions. Where smaller defensive backs have to use their leaping ability to knock down throws, Parker can simply use his height and long arms. In a few looks in man coverage, Parker’s short-area burst and transition ability aren’t as good as a pure cornerback, perhaps in part due to his height, but again, his length essentially acts as extra recovery speed would for a shorter player.
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