It is not a matter of if the Ravens will select a wide receiver in next week’s NFL draft; it is a matter of when.
After the departures of Torrey Smith and Jacoby Jones, the Ravens are left with one surefire starter in Steve Smith Sr. and then a crop of young talent which includes Marlon Brown, Kamar Aiken and Michael Campanaro. The latter three all provide quality depth, but the Ravens will still need to upgrade the position both in quality and quantity.
The Ravens do not have to select a wide receiver on the first or even second day of the draft. Value can be found in any round at the position, but if the right player is there at the right draft slot, then the front office could pull the trigger and trade up to a higher draft spot.
That right player could be one of the draft’s “big three” wide receivers. Louisville’s DeVante Parker, who is widely considered the third best receiver in the draft behind Alabama’s Amari Cooper and West Virginia’s Kevin White, will probably be selected somewhere in the teens during the first round. But as we have seen in years past, draft day always brings a ton of surprises. Players projected to go early in the draft often fall far below where they were expected to be picked. Some teams end up “reaching” for players in the early part of the draft who were projected to go later.
The draft is very unpredictable. Because of that, predicting where players will go heading into draft day can often be an exercise in futility.
DeVante Parker could be a case where the unpredictability of draft day helps the Ravens. If he falls to the late teens or early twenties – say, anywhere from the 18-22 range – perhaps the Ravens could work the phone lines and attempt to catapult from their current slot at 26th overall to grab the top playmaking talent.
Baltimore’s has a lengthy history of making minor trades up in the draft, despite the team’s reputation for trading down.
In 2013, the team moved up six spots in the second round to select Arthur Brown. In 2012, they traded up seven spots to select Bernard Pierce in the third round. In 2011, they traded up five spots in the third round to select Jah Reid. In 2009, they traded up three spots to select Michael Oher.
Are you starting to get the picture? If the Ravens highly covet a prospect, they will move up to get him. If Parker begins to fall in the draft, it’s easy to imagine the team trading up to go get him.
In order to move from 26 to anywhere from 18 to 22 would likely cost the Ravens a third round draft choice. In the 2014 draft, the New Orleans Saints moved from 27 to 20 to select wide receiver Brandin Cooks, giving up a third round pick to the Arizona Cardinals in the process.
It would be a hefty price, but if the Ravens acquire a bonafide starter for the next four-five years, then it could be worth a shot if this scenario plays out.
So let’s say Parker were to be a target for the Ravens on draft day. What makes him so intriguing?
Parker’s measurables are ideal. He possesses both the size and balanced athleticism needed to excel as an outside receiver:
At 6’3 with above average arm length, Parker has the body length necessary to win jump balls and pluck balls out of the air in traffic.
But measurables can only get you so far; let’s see how Parker puts all of this to work.
Here, Parker doesn’t just display the ability to adjust to an under thrown ball. He also uses his previously mentioned athleticism to leap and pluck the ball out of the air, ultimately resulting in a touchdown:
Baltimore’s offense, particularly quarterback Joe Flacco, would benefit from a wide receiver who can match up one-on-one on the outside and adjust to the football in the air. Parker does this repeatedly.
Against Florida State last season and talented cornerback prospect (and potential Ravens target) P.J. Williams, Parker again showed one-on-one playmaking ability.
Parker’s pure route-running ability often outmatched Williams’ press man coverage skill set:
Like most prospects (besides maybe Amari Cooper), he still needs some development in the route-running department. In this game, however, Parker showed that he has enough ability as a route runner at this stage in his career to make an early impact in the NFL.
While ball location and route-running are some of Parker’s positives, his release may be his best asset. Parker does not explode off the line of scrimmage by any means, but his quick, clean, sudden footwork allows him to avoid contact against press coverage:
Overall, Parker has some work to do on his physicality and consistency with his hands. But as a whole, Parker’s traits are more than enough to not only warrant top-20 consideration, but also intrigue any wide receiver-needy team willing to potentially trade up for his services.
If the Ravens stay put at 26 and the big three are gone, it would not be a shock to see them select another position and draft a wide receiver (or two) on the second or third day of the draft.
But if an enticing option such as Parker becomes readily available and could feasibly be acquired, then the Ravens may have a new wide receiver by the end of Thursday night.
The Ravens haven’t selected a wide receiver in the first round since Mark Clayton in 2005, but that streak has to come to an end eventually. DeVante Parker could be the one to end it.
If one lasting image of Parker is needed, well, here you go:
