2020 NFL Draft: Dallas Cowboys get undrafted steal in Aaron Parker

The Dallas Cowboys got themselves a gem after the 2020 NFL Draft in undrafted free agent wide receiver Aaron Parker from Rhode Island.

The Dallas Cowboys already had one of the best 2020 NFL Draft classes in the league, but they were not outdone after the draft, either. The Cowboys brought in a number of talented rookie free agents, not the least of which is Rhode Island wide receiver Aaron Parker.

The Cowboys’ 2020 NFL Draft class is headlined, of course, by Oklahoma’s CeeDee Lamb. Lamb was one of the most dynamic pass catchers in all of college football over the past few seasons, but Parker has been putting up big numbers at Rhode Island for the past four years as well.

At 6-foot-2, 209 pounds, Parker has good size and he was dominant the past couple of seasons at the FCS level.

He was named a second-team FCS All-American in 2019 when he caught 81 passes for 1,224 yards and 11 touchdowns. The year before that, he put up 10 touchdowns on 61 catches for 972 yards.

Although he was likely undrafted because he’s under-developed as a route runner and doesn’t have the speed of his Rhode Island teammate Isaiah Coulter, Parker has a bull mentality with the ball in his hands and simply refuses to lose contested-catch situations.

Watch any number of plays from Parker’s career at Rhode Island and you will see a young player with a really good feel for beating zone coverage and imposing his will when he’s one-on-one with a defensive back.

For the Cowboys, it’s hard to expect an undrafted rookie to come in and make an impact immediately especially after they just used a first-round selection on the position, but Parker has as good of a chance as any undrafted player on this roster to stick.

Though the odds are stacked against him coming from an FCS program and not having the elite explosiveness to separate consistently, it’s tough to bet against a four-year guy from any school who plays with the type of effort you see from Parker, who is also active in the running game as a blocker.

The Cowboys have done a good job historically of identifying undrafted free agent talent. Players like Tony Romo and Cole Beasley in more recent history along with guys like Miles Austin in the past, Drew Pearson if you’re an older Cowboys fan, Jeff Heath, and plenty of others.

Dallas has a chance to develop this kid in Mike McCarthy’s offense, which will undoubtedly use a lot of three wide receiver sets.