With the 14th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins have selected wide receiver DeVante Parker of Louisville. Parker caught 156 passes for 2,775 yards and 33 touchdowns in four seasons with Louisville.
NFL Draft results 2015: DeVante Parker drafted by Dolphins
Parker is healthy and ready to contribute early and often as a rookie in South Florida.
Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports
Parker had a foot injury that sidelined him for the first seven games of his senior season, but he came back with a vengeance and put up 43 receptions for 855 yards and five touchdowns in the final eight games of the season. He was voted a second-team All-ACC selection and his late-season heroics allowed him to tie the Louisville record for career touchdown receptions.
Putting up the numbers he did in just eight games is plenty impressive, and he is one of the top receivers in this year’s class, which isn’t quite as strong as last year’s, but is still excellent. Parker is noted for having excellent hands and body control, and he’s credited with just three drops from 2012 through the end of his college career.
If there are any weaknesses, it’s that he’s got a smaller frame. Parker hasn’t proven he can consistently deal with tough press coverage, and the bigger elite corners in the NFL will eat him alive if he doesn’t bulk up. There’s room for him to add some weight. He also looked like he’d lost some speed after returning from his foot injury, but he managed a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Miami was a middle-of-the-road squad through the air in 2014, with the 17th-ranked passing offense. Their leading receiver in yards, Mike Wallace, was traded in the offseason to the Vikings. Longtime Dolphin Brian Hartline is also gone, giving Parker a chance to make an impact right away.
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