Cleveland Browns Draft Countdown: Making the Case for WR DeVante Parker

The Cleveland Browns have two picks in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft—12th overall and 19th overall. That's good news considering the team's myriad needs at multiple positions.

One of the most glaring of these is wide receiver, and given that this year's draft class is as deep—if not more so—as it was in 2014, it's likely that the Browns don't go a second consecutive year without taking a single wideout with their 10 picks.

Most draft experts do not have the Browns targeting a receiver in Round 1; instead, they are focusing on the trenches, with defensive and offensive linemen the most common positions named. Though receiver is a deep position, the Browns need to address it early this year. Their need to develop a young player into a long-term starter at wideout is just too great to leave until later.

Though there are many top-tier receivers the Browns will likely be able to choose from at 12th overall, the best fit for their needs, both short- and long-term, is Louisville's DeVante Parker. ESPN's Tony Grossi reported last week that the Browns would be hosting Parker for a predraft visit, with the Plain Dealer's Mary Kay Cabot adding that the meeting should occur late this week.

Parker's, "soft hands and elite concentration are his calling cards," according to NFL.com's Lance Zierlein, who notes that he, "maintains focus on downfield throws despite hand fighting and bumps," and "consistently high-points his catches and is a snatch-and-secure receiver." The latter is aided by his 6'3" height and 33 1/4"-long arms. As such, Parker had just three dropped passes since 2012; in contrast, Pro Football Focus credits the Browns' receivers with 19 drops in 2014.

Parker is not the draft's fastest receiver, but his technique and route-running more than make up for it. Zierlein notes that he, "produces explosive plays without top-end speed," while CBS Sports' Dane Brugler elaborates that Parker, "shows some shake in the open field with quick cuts to deceive after the catch and the vision to collect [yards after the catch]."

Further, according to Brugler, Parker has "deceiving body strength and not a push-over, running tough and not allowing coverage defenders to slow him down in his routes," and he describes him as "tougher than he looks and not an easy ballcarrier to finish off."

Year	Rec.	Yds.	YPR	TD
2011	18	291	16.2	6
2012	40	744	18.6	10
2013	55	885	16.1	12
2014	43	855	19.9	5
Total	156	2,775	17.8	33

In four seasons at Louisville, Parker totaled 156 catches for 2,775 yards and 33 touchdowns, and averaged 17.8 yards per catch. Though he missed the first seven games of the 2014 season with a foot injury, he still managed 43 catches—or just 12 fewer than in 2013—for 855 yards and five scores, and he had a career-high 19.9 yards per reception. He averaged one touchdown on every 4.7 receptions in his collegiate career.

That touchdown production is part of what makes him such a good fit in Cleveland. The Browns totaled only 12 receiving touchdowns in 2013, all of which were thrown by now-departed quarterback Brian Hoyer. Though Cleveland's quarterback situation is still up in the air, whoever wins the job will be helped out considerably by Parker's home run ability.

Plus, Parker knows how to win out on jump balls. He can make a quarterback look good because he's able to catch passes that would sail above the heads of other receivers—and he can catch passes that the league's more athletic cornerbacks would otherwise be able to make plays on.

This is an added bonus, because Parker "needs to add muscle and bulk," according to Brugler, while Zierlein says that Parker still needs to "prove he can beat a more physical brand of press coverage."

While he adds that bulk—something an NFL strength and conditioning program will certainly help with—he can make an instant impact simply because he's so athletic. As Brugler says, Parker's "size/athletic dimensions are first round quality with a large catching radius to be a playmaker at every level of the field."

The Browns added veteran receiving experience this offseason by bringing in Brian Hartline and Dwayne Bowe. But those two players are not long-term solutions at the position, and the Browns seem to agree, signing the pair to modest, two-year deals. The Browns need to cultivate their own talent at wide receiver, especially someone like Parker, who has incredible physical tools and the ability to score touchdowns.

Josh Gordon isn't walking through that door any time soon and may never again. Parker is the perfect Gordon replacement, not just for the year (minimum) he is suspended, but for the foreseeable future.

The only differences between the two are weight (Parker: 209 lbs; Gordon: 225 lbs) and that Parker has no history of off-the-field issues that could result in missed time in the NFL. The former is something that can be fixed in the weight room, while the latter is simply something the Browns would welcome out of their next big thing at wideout.

There are a number of directions the Browns could go in when it comes to the first round of the draft. Their needs on both offense and defense allow for a number of the top prospects to be linked to them. But if they choose to address wide receiver, they'd be smart to take the player who best fits their offense. This year, that would be Parker.