What DeVante Parker Trade Means For Patriots Depth Chart At Wide Receiver
FOXBORO (CBS) -- The Patriots went out and acquired another weapon for Mac Jones over the weekend, adding a big receiver to the quarterback's arsenal in DeVante Parker.
At 6-foot-3, Parker will give New England some much-needed size at receiver and a vertical threat that the team has needed. Though he isn't the prototypical No. 1 receiver that the Patriots have lacked for some time, when added to Nelson Agholor, Kendrick Bourne and Jakobi Meyers, bringing in Parker should give Jones a solid group of pass-catchers that could do some serious damage in a number of ways.
Parker has the size to fight for catches. Agholor has the speed to fly down the field. Bourne can pick up big chunks of yards over the middle of the field. And Meyers can do a little bit of everything at a very consistent clip. It's not an explosive group on paper, but it's a group that should cause some issues for opposing defenses while making life a little bit easier for Jones in his second year at the helm.
The 29-year-old Parker had a down year in 2021, hauling in just 40 receptions (off 73 targets) for 515 yards and two touchdowns. He's two years removed from his best season in 2019, when he had 72 receptions for 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns -- all career-highs for Parker. He capped that season off with a huge game against the Patriots in Week 17, when he torched the New England secondary for 137 yards off eight catches in a Miami win, costing the Patriots the No. 1 seed in the process. Bill Belichick loves to add players who have burned the Patriots in the past, and Parker fits that bill with 42 catches and a touchdown over 12 matchups.
Health is a big concern with Parker, who has played just 16 games once over his seven-year career. He has a history of hamstring injuries, which is what landed him on IR last November and limited him to just 10 games in 2022.
Acquiring Parker likely spells the end of N'Keal Harry's days in New England. Harry was touted as that big receiver the Patriots offense needed when Belichick used a first-round pick on him in 2019, but he hasn't been able to stay on the field over this three NFL seasons or earn his spot in the offense.
While trading for Parker probably means Harry's time with the Patriots is over, it shouldn't prevent the team from taking a receiver early in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Patriots still need to find that top receiver for the future, and could potentially find one in the first three rounds. If they're not sold on a rookie making an immediate impact in the passing game, then Parker's addition would afford a young receiver some extra time to acclimate to the NFL.
Parker isn't the splashy pickup that many fans were hoping for this offseason, but if he's healthy, he should be a solid veteran pass-catcher that can help the New England offense in a number of ways.
