DeVante Parker Showing Miami Dolphins He’s Their Guy
May 26, 2015; Miami, FL, USA; Miami Dolphins wide receiver DeVante Parker (11) makes a catch as Miami Dolphins cornerback Brent Grimes (21) defends during practice drills at Miami Dolphins Training Facility. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
The acquisition of free agent Ndamukong Suh told the NFL that the Miami Dolphins are coming. But they need offense so they overhauled their receiving corps from 2014 around franchise quarterback in Ryan Tannehill. In addition to trading Mike Wallace, they released veterans Brian Hartline and Brandon Gibson.
Kenny Stills and and Greg Jennings were signed free agency and DeVante Parker was taken No. 14 overall. Of the top-3 receivers in the 2015 NFL Draft that includes Amari Cooper and Kevin White, Parker is the most underrated. Cooper wows you with how skilled and pro ready he is while White wows you with his upside.
Parker has a combination of both qualities and isn’t far behind the other two pass catchers. And he showed the Dolphins just who he was right away, impressing in minicamp and OTAs. He made several impressive catches in coverage and did well against Pro Bowl cornerback Brent Grimes.
Tannehill, who will benefit the most from having Parker, was among the first to take notice of the rookie. He told PalmBeachPost.com, “We’re coming along great. He’s a good player. You can see his athleticism, his natural ability, already. He made a bunch of good catches today, catches where he’s using his body, keeping the defender off of him. He catches the ball with his hands.”
Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin told ESPN, “I thought he looked good. I thought he did some good things. I liked the way he was coming in and out of his breaks. One of the things we want to do is create some explosive plays. We want guys with good, strong presence outside the numbers. We will see how it goes, but that’s one of the things I think he brings.”
And the New England Patriots lost both of their starting corners.