Dynasty League Rookie Prospect: Louisville WR DeVante Parker

DeVante Parker is one of the most talented wide receivers in this year’s draft class. Even though Parker is very talented he is also very underrated, because right now he is in the shadow of wide receivers Kevin White and Amari Cooper. Don’t forget about Parker during your rookie draft.

Dec 28, 2013; Orlando, FL, USA; Louisville Cardinals wide receiver DeVante Parker (9) warms up before the Russell Athletic Bowl at Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Manning-USA TODAY Sports

College Production

Parker had a very productive college career. During his sophomore season, he caught 40 receptions for 744 yards and 10 TDS. He went on to improve upon these statistics during his junior season with 55 receptions for 885 yards and 12 TDs. The 12 touchdown receptions were the most ever in Louisville Cardinal history.

Parker broke his foot during practice before his senior season causing him to miss the first 7 games of the year. Parker returned to play for the Cardinals on 10/18/14 against the North Carolina State, where he caught 9 receptions for 132 yards. Parker blew up during the 6 games that he played with 43 receptions for 855 yards and 5 touchdowns. Parker was dominating during this time period, going over 100 yards in 5 of the 6 games. He also exploded against Florida State, catching 8 passes for 214 yards. What was impressive about Parker’s performance against Florida St. was that he was matched up against one of the best corners in the country in PJ Williams. In my opening paragraph I stated that Parker is an under-rated prospect. That is because when you scratch the surface of Parker’s college production, you see for his senior season that he caught 43/855/5 for the year, but most people don’t take in account that he did that in 6 games while coming back from an injury.

Player Metrics

Date Of Birth	HT	WT	40-Time	Vertical	Bench Press	Hand Size
1/20/93	6’3	209	4.45	36.5″	17	9 1/4

Parker has the ideal height that you want at 6’3, but he has a slender build at 209 pounds, which might make him more likely to incur injuries. Parker didn’t run the 3-cone drill, so we don’t have a concrete metric on his short area quickness. He ran a 4.45 40 yard dash, which is very good. It’s not elite, but good enough to get down the field in the NFL. Parker doesn’t have huge hands, but at 9 ¼ inches they are big enough to be efficient at catching balls at the NFL level.

Film Review

Parker demonstrates great short area quickness while running his routes, and he uses his quickness to generate separation from defenders. Parker is one of the best wide receivers in the draft at creating separation from the defensive backs. He is very good at getting in and out of his breaks. Parker has great hands. He is very good at catching the ball away from his body, and he can make dazzling contested catches. He is not a jump ball artist. He is not the type of player that wins a lot of jump balls because it’s just not part of his game.

Parker is very quick to get off the line of scrimmage, and he has a quick first step that he uses to get past the defensive back. Parker didn’t get experience against press coverage very often, which is something he is going to have to get use to at the pro level. A lot of people compare Parker to AJ Green. There are similarities to the two players, but AJ Green is on another level compared to Parker. Parker is good, but don’t confuse him with some of the elite talents that have come before him.

Player Value

Parker is a very talented receiver. He is going to go in the first round of the NFL draft, and he is going to go in the first round of rookie drafts. Parker’s value is all over the board. Some people have him as the best wide receiver this year and some people have him at 3^rd or later. Depending on where he lands he could possibly go anywhere from the early 1^st round to the late 1^st. I have Parker as the 2^nd best WR in the draft, and I would take him anywhere from 1.3 or later, depending on his landing spot. Landing spot is going to be important for Parker, because if he lands with a team like the Browns, then his ability to product right away for your fantasy team is very unlikely.

Need help with your dynasty team? Contact me on Twitter @bmatz08 and I will give you the guidance you need to make the best decisions on trades, drafts, and the waiver wire.

Next: C.J. Spiller's Impact With The Saints

More from FanSided

Home/Fantasy Football