DeVante Parker, WR, Miami Dolphins
There was a lot of hype around Parker after he was drafted, with many thinking he could become a go-to wide receiver for the Dolphins. His rookie year was marred with struggles, as he caught just 26-of-44 targets for 494 yards and three touchdowns while dropping four passes. His overall grade of 73.7 ranked 50th among receivers with more than 300 snaps played. It wasn’t quite the year people expected, but his 19.0 yards per reception screamed big time potential.
Going into last season, there was even more hype (and pressure) on Parker to take that next step to becoming the elite receiver he was drafted to be. He improved for sure, catching 60 passes (on 88 targets) for 799 yards and four touchdowns. He also dropped just one pass. He finished with the 26th best wide receiver grade in the league at 79.6. Again not quite the elite numbers many expected, but a marked improvement and step in the right direction.
While at times last season he showed that he could be a number one receiver, consistency was an issue for him. He had five games in which he caught two or fewer passes. That simply isn’t good enough for an expected ‘go-to receiver.’ Parker will need to use 2017 to prove to the Dolphins that he can be the player they drafted him to be, otherwise he could see his fifth-year option declined.
