FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Put DeVante Parker in a contested catch situation with a 50-50 chance of coming down with the ball against an opposing defender, and he’ll bet on himself every time.
“It’s more like 80-20,” Parker said with a smile, when asked about his view on jump balls.
Whether it’s one defender or two, between Parker’s athleticism and burning desire to win, he could be an important weapon for Mac Jones and the Patriots’ offense this season and beyond.
Jones must like Parker in those jump ball situations because he’s been floating passes toward the 6-foot-3, 219-pound receiver throughout training camp, feeling out what his new wideout can do. And against a strong Panthers secondary during joint practices earlier this week, Jones wasn’t disappointed.
Parker, who had six catches on eight targets during competitive drills, came out on top almost every time. He made several grabs near the sideline against tight coverage that had the crowd outside Gillette Stadium screaming with excitement.
“That’s something that I’ve always been having (success with) since I was in high school, and just brought it to the NFL,” Parker said of his contested-catch ability. “If the ball is in the area, it’s mine.”
The statistics support that claim. Since 2019, Parker has led the NFL with 57 contested catches, per Pro Football Focus. He is showing why it’s obvious that was no fluke.
Jones went to him down the field on several occasions. Parker’s best catch came during an 11-on-11 session, as he elevated over Panthers defenders Donte Jackson and Xavier Woods to pull in a jump ball down the sideline for a 30-yard completion. That kind of ability gives the Patriots something they didn’t have in the receiver room last year. N’Keal Harry was supposed to be that guy, but he never materialized as a threat and proved to be a first-round bust.
Parker doesn’t exactly separate from defenders like Tyquan Thornton does with his breakaway speed, but he’ll go up and get the ball in a crowd.
There’s certainly value in that, which is why the Patriots made a rare trade with a division opponent.
The Patriots got him for next to nothing (swapping a 2023 third-round pick for Parker and a fifth-rounder) for a number of reasons. First was Parker’s inability to stay healthy during his seven seasons in Miami.
Another reason was Miami hiring Mike McDaniel, an offensive-minded head coach who was given a couple of shiny new toys. Tyreek Hill arrived in a monster trade from Kansas City, while former Cowboys receiver Cedrick Wilson was signed in free agency.
That made Parker expendable.
The veteran wideout, however, would love nothing better than to prove his former team wrong. Already, he thinks he’s taken it up a notch since arriving in New England.
“I’m a little bit more quick than I was,” he said. “I’ve spent a lot of time stretching more than I have in the past … just trying to stay loose and keep my body right.”
While the 29-year-old isn’t a game-breaking receiver in the mold of Hill, Cincinnati’s Ja’Marr Chase or Buffalo’s Stephon Diggs, he perfectly complements the Patriots’ receiving corps.
And he’s putting those different skill sets on display.
KRISTIAN WILKERSON, the receiver who suffered a concussion during Wednesday’s joint practice with the Panthers, is expected to miss Friday’s preseason game against Carolina.
Wilkerson spoke with players and coaches after he was evaluated off site Wednesday afternoon and is feeling “fine,” a source told the Boston Herald.
Wilkerson was carted off the field after absorbing a hit from Panthers safety Kenny Robinson during a kickoff return drill that initially left him laying motionless on the ground. Robinson’s hit sparked the first of two fights that broke out in Wednesday’s practice – a day after Robinson and Wilkerson were involved in a scuffle that led to a fight in the first joint session.
Robinson was kicked out of practice both days.
Wilkerson is fighting for a roster spot near the bottom of the team’s wide receiver depth chart. He spent most of last season on the practice squad.
HUNTER HENRY “is dealing with a minor injury and should return soon,” according to The Athletic’s Jeff Howe, after the veteran tight end left was absent during Wednesday’s joint practice with the Panthers
Henry sat out the Patriots’ preseason opener against the New York Giants, along with most other starters. With Henry being held out of practice Wednesday, it’s unlikely that he’ll suit up for Friday’s preseason game.
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