Devante Parker To The Houston Texans?

With Andre Johnson long gone to Indianapolis, the hot take is how do the Houston Texans replace him? In short, the organization can’t expect to replace the future Hall-of-Famer.

But there is somebody in this year’s draft class whom head coach Bill O’Brien and his staff can bring in to possibly become the next top wideout for the Houston Texans.

His name: Devante Parker of the Louisville Cardinals.

While Parker may not be the top receiver in the upcoming draft, his skills make it hard to pass on him.

The 6’3″, 208-pound receiver is known for being an athletic type with an exceptional catch radius that turned him into a popular target in the red zone. He also has soft hands and will not drop many catches, which is impressive considering his 9 1/4″ hand size. Combine that with his large wingspan of 80 inches and it is no wonder he is projected to go high in the upcoming draft.

And while he may be somewhat on the thin side for a tall receiver, he would provide another look to passing game for the Texans opposite of DeAndre Hopkins.

But what has he done throughout his collegiate career to warrant such attention? Let’s take a look.

2012 stats: 13 games, 40 receptions, 744 yards, 10 TD, 18.6 yards per reception

2013 stats: 12 games, 55 receptions, 885 yards, 12 TD, 16.1 yards per reception

2014 stats: Seven games, 43 receptions, 855 yards, 5 TD, 19.9 yards per reception

Impressive numbers considering the rotation of coaches and quarterbacks in the last couple of years at Louisville.

But what was even more impressive was his 2014 statistics. Yes, that’s right, the season in which he only played in seven games due to a bum foot.

For the 2014 season he averaged 3.8 yards more per reception than he did throughout 2013, and almost matched his total yardage from that season while playing in five less games in 2014. It is clear that he wasn’t a product of now-Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and would have had a breakout season if wasn’t for the foot injury.

However, Parker will be far from a finished product when he reaches the NFL.

According to Dane Brugler of cbssports.com, he states that the young receiver has a few areas to improve upon, two of which is Parker’s blocking, and his need to bulk up to become a more physical receiver.

Those are:

"He’s a willing blocker, but has room to improve in this area.He has a leaner-than-ideal frame and needs to add muscle and bulk."

Clearly Parker will be somewhat of a project going forward, but his upside is hard to ignore. Given the right amount of coaching in combination with his physical tools and mental toughness he would be a valuable addition to any football team.