Mayock: DeVante Parker Would Be 'Home-Run' Pick for Dolphins
With the shuffling of the Miami Dolphins' receiving corps this offseason, many draft heads think a receiver might be targeted in the first round to join the young, talented duo of Jarvis Landry and Kenny Stills.
If the Dolphins do pull the trigger on a wideout at No. 14 overall, NFL Network's Mike Mayock thinks DeVante Parker, a 6-foot-3 playmaker out of Louisville, would be a "home run" selection if he's still available.
"If you want to go wideout at 14," Mayock said on WQAM's Joe Rose Show this morning, "you've got Kenny Stills and Jarvis Landry -- if you could get DeVante Parker at 14, I think it's a home run. You'd have arguably the best young wide-receiver core in the league with your young quarterback."
If Parker is snagged before Miami picks, Mayock thinks Breshad Perriman, the No. 4 receiver on his board, is an "intriguing" receiver to consider with his ankle-breaking speed (4.24 in 40), having registered over 20.0 yards per catch in each of the last two seasons at Central Florida. Mayock considers Perriman "real close" to Parker in terms of ability.
While both were playmaking machines in college, Parker had a potent 2014 season after missing the first seven games due to a foot injury. He racked up 855 yards and five touchdowns over the final six games, including a 214-yard eruption against Florida State and 180 yards against Kentucky. And here's a wild stat featuring Parker's big-play ability, via College Football Focus:
"Forced 15 missed tackles from defenders on just 43 receptions. Only 16 players in FBS notched more over the season and just four beat his mark by more than two despite the time he missed hurt."
Highlights of Parker:
Highlights of Perriman:
Then at 47, with no pick in the third round after trading it for Stills, Mayock thinks Miami should be targeting a "long corner or an offensive lineman." He names Eric Rowe (Utah) and P.J. Williams (FSU) as potential cornerback options. For offensive line prospects, he likes Laken Tomlinson (Duke), Jake Fisher (Oregon), and Donovan Smith (Penn State).
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Here is some more quick-hitting Mayock analysis, including his outlook on UM's top draft prospects.
+ Mayock's safest player in the draft, similar to Zack Martin last year, is offensive lineman Brandon Scherff of Iowa.
+ He prefers Marcus Mariota to Jameis Winston, but says the latter would be a better fit in Tampa with their mammoth wideouts and need for a pocket passer with a big arm.
+ On Ereck Flowers: He will be an all-pro tackle if "he has the football character and work ethic... if he wants it."
+ He clocked Duke Johnson at a 4.46 in the 40 at Miami's Pro Day, projecting him in the "mid-to-late second round," saying he'd be "a steal" if he dropped to the third.
+ Clive Walford is "interesting because he plays faster than his [40] time," Mayock says. He gives him a third-round projection.
+ Phillip Dorsett is one of Mayock's favorite players in the draft. He says Miami's speedster has come a long way since his two unfortunate long-ball drops in the Notre Dame game as a sophomore and "could sneak into the first round."
+ On Denzel Perryman, who Mayock considers a second-rounder: "I love him, I really do. His tape is outstanding... he makes every play on the field." He likens him to another former Cane in Jon Beason, "an underappreciated, underrated player."
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