Miami Dolphins breakout player: Devante Parker
The Miami Dolphins have a breakout candidate in wide receiver DeVante Parker, a former first round pick out of Louisville. How good can he be?
The Miami Dolphins have one of the most interesting and talented sets of young talent on the offensive side of the ball in the entire NFL. Second-year wide receiver DeVante Parker is ready to make a splash as a sophomore, and I think he’ll be the big time breakout player on this Dolphins roster.
It’s not going out on a limb or anything, but it’s better than starting a debate of whether or not Jarvis Landry is actually good…
By the way, he is.
The Dolphins are armed with what I would consider to be the most diverse and explosive group of receivers in the league right now, but there’s plenty left for them to prove. As a rookie, Parker provided us with highlight reel catches while also showing his advanced NFL skill set for his age.
He caught just 26 balls as a rookie, but was second on the team with nine plays of 20 or more yards, and 21 of his catches went for first downs. He finished with three touchdowns and averaged 19 yards per grab, showing off impressive body control downfield and an ability to win jump balls.
Despite being third on the team in receiving, Parker proved his big play ability. The Dolphins already knew they had that in Kenny Stills, but as each player enters year two in Adam Gase’s offense, the possibilities are boundless.
With Arian Foster added to a young backfield, the Dolphins now have the type of versatility at least on paper to open up the passing game. It’s not the legendary Peyton Manning hurling passes, but we saw how well a Gase offense is capable of spreading the ball around when five (FIVE) players on the Broncos’ 2013 roster had 10 or more touchdowns.
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The Dolphins have so many good young weapons offensively, but in my opinion, the ceiling is highest for Parker.
Yes, that includes Jarvis Landry.
Landry has established himself, but as Parker now steps into the no. 2 receiver role for Miami, he’s only going to get more comfortable. As he gets more comfortable, his physical dominance is going to be undeniable.
The Dolphins knew they were getting a big time player in Parker last year, but we’ve only seen a snapshot. This guy is for real, and he’s going to be making huge strides in 2016.