Miami Dolphins

Dolphins hoping DeVante Parker can emerge as No. 1 wide receiver

Published Apr. 30, 2015 9:50 p.m. ET

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DAVIE, Fla. -- Eager to rebuild their receiving corps, the Miami Dolphins selected wide receiver DeVante Parker with the No. 14 pick in the first round of the 2015 draft.

"He's a guy we've had our eye on for a while," general manager Dennis Hickey said. "We couldn't be more happy to add him to our Dolphins family and add him to our quality receiving group that we already have and bring in another weapon into our offense."

Parker's upside is enough for many draft experts to peg the former Louisville standout a possible No. 1 receiver, and the Dolphins have a clear need at the position with the departures of Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson and Brian Hartline in the offseason. Miami will likely pair Parker alongside second-year player Jarvis Landry to form a young tandem brimming with talent.

"DeVante has size, he's athletic, he has length, excellent body control, very good in the red zone, jump ball target and he's a guy that can stretch the field and who can give yardage after contact," Hickey said. "He brings a lot of things as an outside receiver that we value. A guy that loves football and has been a proven performer at the college level from the time he came in."

Miami recently added Kenny Stills via trade and signed veteran Greg Jennings but could not pass up the talented Parker, who missed the first seven games of last season with a foot injury but still had 43 receptions for 855 yards with five touchdowns for the Cardinals.

"I'm just looking forward to the season," Parker said via teleconference. "I'm really blessed that the Miami organization picked me to be a part of their family."

With the selection, Miami's receivers feature a combination of youth and veterans. Parker and Landry are both 22, Stills is 23, Rishard Matthews is 25 and Jennings is 31. Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor now has several options at his disposal and could slot in Parker and Stills as the outside receivers, keep Landry as the slot receiver and shift Jennings into a reserve role. Former Pro Bowl tight end Jordan Cameron will also be a threat.

"We're really excited with the weapons that we have and getting to add (Parker) to a quality receiving group and get him into our offense and add a playmaker," Hickey said. "That was one of the goals to add a playmaker to our offense, and we're excited to bring him onboard."

For his part, Parker said the Dolphins were getting "a big, strong, physical wide receiver" willing to do "whatever the coaches tell me to do." Miami had a clear need for a red-zone threat, and Parker is just that, having scored a touchdown for every 4.7 catches in Louisville.

They also had one of the shortest receiving units in the NFL last season, and Parker's size is a plus for quarterback Ryan Tannehill.

The last time the team used a first-round pick to draft a wide receiver was in 2007 with the controversial selection of Ted Ginn Jr. with the No. 9 pick. Miami also previously drafted receivers Randall Hill (1991), O.J. McDuffie (1993), and Yatil Green (1997) in the first round.

Parker, listed at 6-3 and 209 pounds, spent most of his offseason working out in South Florida and was the first prospect to visit the Dolphins.

"It was a real good visit," Parker said. "They brought me in like I was already a part of the team. I just loved it."

He was the third receiver taken in the draft after Amari Cooper (No. 4, Oakland Raiders) and Kevin White (No. 7, Chicago Bears).

"He was the best player available, and when he was still there at No. 14, there were a lot of high-fives," Hickey said. "We were excited to make the selection. He's a guy we'd been following and tracking. He was by far the best player available for us, and so that was definitely easy."

WHAT'S NEXT

The Dolphins hold the 15th pick in the second round, 47th overall. Barring a trade, that is their only selection for the second day of the draft.

You can follow Surya Fernandez on Twitter @SuryaHeatNBA or email him at SuryaFoxSports@gmail.com.

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