Steve Mitchell
Parker Not Playing Around
Wide receiver DeVante Parker is coming off a breakthrough season for the Miami Dolphins, and it's clear he's got every intention of doing big things again in 2020.
While the Dolphins continue to be kept away from team facilities, just like the entire NFL, Parker has found a way to work on his draft.
He's been among the many players who have converged on Holiday Park in Fort Lauderdale to run routes and catch passes from NFL quarterbacks.
Parker worked out a few days ago and was caught on video catching passes from Washington Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins, the 15th overall selection in the 2019 NFL draft.
Parker will be heading into his sixth NFL season in 2020 and coming off the first where he was able to play all 16 games.
That played a big part in Parker setting career high with 72 catches for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. The yards and touchdowns represented the highest totals for an AFC wide receiver in 2019, while he was tied for 13th in catches.
Probably the only reason Parker wasn't selected to the Pro Bowl was did he did a lot of his damage late in the season. Over the final seven weeks, he led all NFL receivers in yards (733) and was tied for first in touchdown (5).
The biggest news involving Parker this offseason was his Instagram back-and-forth with Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas over a poll asking whether it was tougher to catch a pass while being guarded by Stephon Gilmore or to break up a pass while guarding Thomas.
Of course, we all remember that Parker's signature game in the 2019 season was the finale when he was covered by Gilmore the whole afternoon and ended up with eight catches for 137 yards — the highest total by any New England opponent last season.
And then maybe Parker had the last laugh with Thomas when NextGen Stats revealed that it was Parker and not Thomas, who set an NFL record with 149 catches last year, who had the most "tight window" receptions in the league in 2019.
