Why DeVante Parker Should Be Minnesota Vikings' Ultimate Draft Target

We'll get this out of the way right off the top: The Minnesota Vikings really can't go wrong with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 draft.

Minnesota has positional needs at several areas on the field, but none is glaring to the point that it absolutely has to use its first pick on it. That's a position of strength in that it'll be able to pick the best player available when it chooses.

The Vikings' biggest needs are at wide receiver, left guard, middle linebacker, cornerback and safety.

There isn't a middle linebacker good enough to use from the 11th overall choice on, so you can probably rule that out for the first round.

As for the other four positions, there will more than likely be some pretty good options available to Minnesota.

We're going to make the case that the best option will be wide receiver DeVante Parker from the University of Louisville.

We'll couch this opinion by saying that we think offensive lineman Brandon Scherff and wide receivers Amari Cooper and Kevin White will already be off the board by the time the Vikings choose.

Don't look for Minnesota to try to move up because none of those players are so much more attractive than Parker that the Vikings would feel like giving up any assets to get them.

And that's certainly not to say Parker is any type of consolation prize. The 6'3", 209-pound wideout from Louisville was impressive at the NFL combine, running a 4.45-second 40-yard dash and showing surprising strength by posting 17 reps in the bench press.

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Parker has the look of a true No. 1 receiver, something the Vikings lacked in 2014.

The fact that he has a history with Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater—they played together at Louisville—helps, but it isn't really a factor in choosing him.

The Vikings Need Help at Wide Receiver

Bridgewater is the most important player on the Vikings' roster heading toward 2015, and Minnesota needs to surround him with some weapons.

It's looking more and more like running back Adrian Peterson won't return to the Vikings. He met with head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman on Wednesday, and in talking to ESPN's Josina Anderson afterward, he mentioned "concerns my family and I still have."

You can argue all day about the current worth of running backs in the NFL, but losing Peterson would be a major blow to Minnesota's offense. The Vikings can answer that blow by adding a dynamic playmaker like Parker.

The Vikings ended last season with their best wide receiver being Charles Johnson, a player they had signed off the Cleveland Browns' practice squad in September.

A look at Minnesota's numbers from its wide receivers last year clearly illustrates that it needs help at the position:

Player	Rec	Yds	NFL Rank	Tds
Jennings	59	742	58	6
Wright	42	588	76	2
Johnson	31	475	95	2
Patterson	33	384	118	1
Thielen	8	137	235	1

Both Johnson and Patterson have great potential, but neither one of them has enough of a resume yet for the Vikings to be confident that they can turn themselves into No. 1 receivers.

If last year's NFL draft taught us anything, it's that the learning curve for wideouts isn't what it used to be.

For years, wide receiver was perceived as one of the toughest positions to transition to at the highest level. That's proving not to be the case anymore as more and more of the top athletes are choosing to play wideout rather than running back, and they are learning complicated offenses in both high school and college.

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Twelve receivers were taken in the first two rounds of the 2014 draft, and they had tremendous success last year, as several of them put up monster numbers as rookies.

This year's draft class might not have quite as many elite receivers, but almost every draft analyst is projecting huge futures for Cooper, White and Parker.

While there is certainly a possibility all three receivers will be off the board by the time the 11th pick rolls around, it's likely that the Vikings will get a shot at selecting one of them, and the guess is that it's going to be Parker.

Bridgewater and Parker were phenomenal together for three years at Louisville, with Parker catching 113 passes for 1,920 yards and 28 touchdowns in those years.

Parker missed the first seven games of 2014 after having foot surgery, but he was dominant when he returned, averaging seven catches for almost 150 yards per game.

After the combine, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. had this to say about Parker:

"

He's A.J. Green Lite -- but not that light. Given his big catch radius and ability to beat defenders at the catch point (see: arms longer than 33 inches), running 4.45 at 6-foot-2 and 209 pounds puts him in a top class of athlete as well. A difference-maker and potential No. 1 receiver.

"

As we said at the very top of the article, it will be pretty hard for the Vikings to go wrong with the 11th overall pick.

Any of the top three receivers would be a great addition. Scherff would be a huge lift to the offensive line. Landon Collins would give the Vikings two of the best young safeties in the game (Harrison Smith being the other). Another elite cornerback to pair with Xavier Rhodes would make a ton of sense as well.

With that said, the best move for the Vikings at the top of this draft is to make their quarterback happy. Reuniting him with his partner in crime from Louisville would do just that.

Minnesota needs to draft Parker with the 11th pick.