The New England Patriots needed to add more weapons to Mac Jones’ arsenal this past offseason, and the organization did exactly that.
A few weeks before drafting potential game-changer Tyquan Thornton in the second round, the Patriots made a significant addition to their receiving corps in the form of DeVante Parker. Parker only is a few seasons removed from a 1,200-yard, nine-touchdown campaign in Miami, and he views Foxboro as the ideal setting to solidify his label as a true No. 1 wideout.
Mike Tannenbaum is plenty familiar with Parker, as the ESPN NFL analyst was the general manager of the Dolphins when the franchise selected the Louisville product with the 14th overall pick in the 2015 draft. Tannenbaum is confident Parker will be a good fit with the Patriots, both on the football field and in the locker room.
“You’re getting someone who can win on the outside,” Tannenbaum told ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “Big catch radius and good at high-pointing the ball. Really effective with in-breaking routes and in the red zone. He’s a very likeable, fun-loving person who is a great teammate — always smiling, never had a bad day.
“Injuries have been a problem, and you just hope he can put it together for 17 games. I wouldn’t say his play speed is elite, but (if healthy) he’s a very good starting NFL receiver who can be scoring eight to 12 touchdowns and making contested catches.”
Parker hit the ground running with the Patriots upon departing Miami, as he took part in multiple offseason throwing sessions with Jones and was present for all voluntary OTA sessions. The next time we’ll see Parker on the practice field with his New England teammates is July 27 when the Patriots kick off training camp.
