DeVante Parker: Browns Draft Profile
By Paul Noel
The Cleveland Browns season is over. We will spend a good amount of time reviewing the season but we will spend even more time preparing for the off-season. Browns 2015 NFL Draft seems ready to be a very interesting one for the team. With 10 picks, including two in the first round, the Browns are ready to make noise again for the second year in a row.
Instead the 2014 started off strong and ended with a thud. Last year the Browns draft included a big trade down and the drafting of Johnny Manziel. While the first round hasn’t panned out yet, the rest of the draft seems to be great. It is likely that GM Ray Farmer and Head Coach Mike Pettine see a greater need for more veteran talent on a very young roster and we expect them to be aggressive in seeking to bring in that talent during Browns free agency.
After free agency we wouldn’t be surprised if the Browns tried to trade their picks to move up, to get another veteran or went with best player available instead of drafting for need. Farmer did this last year when he drafted Joel Bitonio, Terrance West, Christian Kirksey and others instead of drafting a wide receiver. We could see that again.
In preparation for such we will be taking a look at certain players that we think the Browns could target. Keep in mind we are not saying that these are players they are targeting, although some rumors may start to leak of the Browns having interest in them, instead these are players that we think the Browns could or should have interest in. Our profile will try to include as much information as possible to prepare you for free agency.
Next: Our Complete Draft Profiles List
Name
Position
Wide Receiver
Height/Weight
6’3″, 209 lbs
School
Louisville Cardinals
Stats (link)
2014 – 7 games; 43 Receptions, 855 yards, 5 Touchdowns
2014 NFL Draft Comparison
Jordan Matthews– 42nd overall (Philadelphia Eagles) – Matthews is a good player who uses his size and agility to go up and get the football. He doesn’t have game breaking speed of the line, but he is sure-handed, runs good routes, and can get separation after the catch.
2015 NFL Draft Range
10-20 Range 1st Round – The 2015 NFL Draft doesn’t have the great depth at the wide receiver position that the 2014 class had, but what the draft class does have is a select group of about 5 prospects with first round talent. Parker is a tall receiver (6’3″) with long arms, and superb ability that he utilizes to go up and get the football. Parker has great body control and excellent timing that allows him to catch the football even against good coverage.
Fit with the Browns
The Browns’ clearly sound like they have moved on from the Josh Gordon experiment and Miles Austin (30 yrs old) isn’t getting any younger. The Browns’ possess a lot of talent at the wide receiver position but the one thing the core group of talent lacks in height. At 6’3″, Parker could be the guy to step-in and stretch the field for the Browns’ offense. Last season the Browns’ missed the deep ball and had to rely heavily on the slot receivers to stretch the defense. Parker is a great possession receiver that can move the chains and make catches in traffic however, many pundits do point out that he doesn’t possess elite straight-line speed to separate vertically. I would argue though that his 4.34 sec 40 yard time would suggest that he has the quick burst to force corners to turn and run with him on vertical or ‘Go’ routes.
Browns Player Selection Could Impact
The Browns do not have the kind of depth where there is a specific player that would be impacted by Parker’s selection. Travis Benjamin could be cut but that would be true no matter what the Browns do in the NFL Draft.
How Selection Could Be Impacted By Free Agency
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The Browns’ have lost in the court of public opinion for not upgrading the wide receiver position in the draft last season. If the Browns’ address key needs along the Offensive and Defensive line in free agency then that would give them the ample opportunity to grab a good wideout via the draft. But if the Browns’ make a splash in free agency with a wide receiver signing chances are they will wait until 3rd round or later. to find serviceable talent.
Priority
Medium – The Browns can’t continue to thrust QBs into the starting role without building a great supporting cast. Success in the NFL comes from having the pieces in place to make life easier on the QB position. If the Browns’ want the QB position to flourish then they need to address the supporting cast starting with getting a quality starting wide receiver.
What do you think about targeting DeVante Parker in the 2015 NFL Draft?