GAME CHANGER: Here's why DeVante Parker looks like the Patriots' next No.1 receiver
FOXBORO — DeVante Parker isn’t big on talking.
The veteran wide receiver talks in a deep, quiet tone. He answers questions from the media in short sentences while being honest and direct. Really, Parker seems like a perfect fit here in New England. It’s not about talking off the field. With this 29-year-old, it’s all about action.
Through the first two days of Patriots training camp, Parker’s play on the field speaks volumes. Highlight catch after highlight catch, the receiver has become a quick fan favorite around the Gillette Stadium practice field. He’s quick to pump up the crowd around him and celebrate with his teammates following touchdown catches.
Parker’s play thus far has been one of the biggest story lines of training camp. The 6-foot-3-inch receiver looks like he has the ability to give quarterback Mac Jones a big-bodied threat who will pressure defenses downfield and in the red zone.
“I’m just hoping to bring energy and just come out there and play as hard as I can,” Parker said. “Do what I can to help the team.”
It's still the early stages of training camp. Pads won’t be put on until Monday. Through these first two sessions, however, Parker appears to be the Patriots' No. 1 receiver and the kind of player who was missing from this offense a year ago. If we’re being honest, he looks like the kind of player into which the Patriots had hoped N’Keal Harry would develop.
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A first-round pick at No. 14 overall by Miami in 2015, Parker showed he could play instantly in the NFL, but injuries have slowed him down. He's played a full 16-game season just once, but when healthy, he's a clear problem for opposing cornerbacks.
Parker finished with 56 receptions, 744 yards and four touchdowns in 2016, which was his second year in the league. He played in only 13 games the following season, but still managed 57 receptions for 670 yards. After a slow 2018 season, which saw him deal with finger, quadriceps and shoulder injuries, Parker exploded in 2019 when he finished with 72 receptions, 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. That marked his first and only full season.
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Parker dealt with a hamstring injury in 2020, but still finished with 63 catches and 793 yards. He played in only 10 games last year, because of a hamstring injury, before the Patriots traded a third-round pick for his services in April.
“I love being here,” Parker said. “They welcomed me in. I appreciate them for that.”
Another constant in his career has been big games against Bill Belichick's defenses. Parker has three games of more than 100 yards against the Patriots, including a 137-yard performance in 2019.
Parker appears to be on a different level
Parker played fine during organized team activities and minicamp but looks as if he's on a different level at training camp. He made three highlight-reel catches on the first day. In 7-on-7s, Parker jumped over rookie cornerback Marcus Jones for a touchdown from Mac Jones. On the next play, he jumped over rookie cornerback Jack Jones for another touchdown from the Patriots' starting quarterback.
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When 11-on-11 drills started, Parker jumped over veteran cornerback Terrance Mitchell for another outstanding touchdown grab. This time, he ran over to the crowd on the sideline and let out a scream that echoed throughout the practice field.
It seemed to be a welcome-to-Foxboro moment for Parker as the crowd went wild.
“They show a lot of support," Parker said. "That gets everyone hyped up and that’s what I look forward to. I have a lot of fun with it. That’s what it’s all about. Have fun and come out and work hard every day.”
On Thursday, Parker did it again on Jones’ first pass in full-team drills. Cornerback Jalen Mills had tight coverage but Parker made an outstanding move to get to a spot where only he could catch Jones’ back-shoulder pass. The ball was low to the ground but he had no problem adjusting to make a diving catch.
“Big energy — big, tall guy,” Mills said of Parker. “I really liked yesterday — he scored that touchdown, he kind of turned the crowd up a little bit. You want to see that from those guys on the opposite side of the ball.”
“It’s good to have him; he had a good spring,” Belichick said. “We’ll just take it day-by-day here and not try to evaluate guys based on one play or one practice or one period. There’s going to be a lot of football played and we’ll see how things turn out over an extended period of time. Consistency and production.”
In his first offseason in Foxboro, Parker looks like a fitting piece for the Patriots' offense. Last year, the team had three solid receivers in Jakobi Meyers, Kendrick Bourne and Nelson Agholor, but clearly lacked another piece. That’s part of the reason why the team traded for Parker.
So far, he's making a difference.
“I’m just happy to bring it out every day. That’s what it is,” Parker said.
He might not say much, but that’s fine. His actions on the practice field say it all.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Here's why DeVante Parker looks like the Patriots' next No.1 receiver
