The Miami Dolphins selected wide receiver DeVante Parker with the 14th overall pick of the 2015 NFL Draft, but to this point he’s never lived up to the hype.
In four seasons as a pro, Parker has struggled to stay healthy while failing to deliver the kind of production one would expect from a player drafted in that slot.
- 2015: Played in 14 games, caught 26 passes for 494 yards and three touchdowns.
- 2016: Played in 15 games, caught 56 passes for 744 yards and four touchdowns.
- 2017: Played in 13 games, caught 57 passes for 670 yards and one touchdown.
- 2018: Played in 11 games, caught 24 passes for 309 yards and one touchdown.
That’s a grand total of 163 catches for 2,217 yards and nine touchdowns. In other words, just a bit more than what we expect from Julio Jones in a single campaign.
Needless to say, Parker has been unreliable. He’s also the subject of trade talks for the past couple of seasons. That might be changing soon, because the people who cover the team have been gushing over what Parker is doing this spring during offseason workouts.
Though his production hasn’t been anything to get excited about thus far, Parker has been able to make plays during the regular season (like this) that hint he has the potential to become dominant.
The problem is, the offseason has typically been the time when Parker shines the brightest.
Miami gave Parker one last chance to prove it with a two-year contract that is essentially a one-year deal (no guarantees in 2020). So far, he’s on the right track. Now it’s time for the former first-round pick to stay consistent, and healthy.