Round 1 Pick 11: DeVante Parker WR (Louisville)
It’s straight out of football fairytale. The Vikings are in desperate need of a consistent wide receiver who second-year QB Bridgewater can rely on, and who better than DeVante Parker — Teddy’s No. 1 target when they played together in Louisville? The chemistry is already there.
At 6-foot-3 and 211 pounds, Parker has supple hands and impeccable concentration. He has a massive wingspan (80 inches) and recorded only three drops since 2012.
The receiver has shown he knows how and when to run back to the ball when the QB is scrambling, and with an offensive line that needs as much work as the Vikings’, this will prove to be a crucial asset.
In 2013, the Vikes nabbed Cordarrelle Patterson, but since the receiver hasn’t evolved into the breakout player he was hyped to be, Parker could serve as a solid alternative should Patterson continue to catch fewer than 35 passes all year.
With a solid checkdown like Parker, the Vikes may finally be able to up their receiver receiving corps game. And even though fellow receiver Greg Jennings has had far from all-star numbers, purple-and-gold fans hope he can shed some veteran knowledge on the youngins.
Next: Protecting The Franchise