Everywhere I go
Every smile I see
I know you are there
Smilin’ back at me
Lyrics from Janet Jackson’s famous song “Together Again” could apply to Teddy Bridgewater and the Vikings if the post-NFL Combine mock drafts ring true.
Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, USA Today and SB Nation are all in agreement that Minnesota is lined up to take Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker with the 11th pick in the NFL Draft.
Parker was Bridgewater’s favorite target at Louisville. The Star Tribune says the duo, over a three-year span, connected 113 times for 1,920 yards and 28 touchdowns.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLa4Rip6Vrg
“That would be real good, to reunite with him again,” Parker said of potentially reconnecting with Bridgewater. “We had a good connection from college and it would be a good thing.”
The Courier-Journal notes that Parker ran a 4.45-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine; it was one of the 20 fastest times of his day – impressive for a 6-foot-3, 209-pound man.
Check out what some of the mock drafts say about Parker.
Bleacher Report
“With freakish size, game speed and the ability to post up in the end zone, Parker has the skill set needed to open up the Minnesota offense with speedsters like Jarius Wright and the big-play potential of Cordarrelle Patterson. With 2014 surprise Charles Johnson being the team’s most consistent threat last year, the 2015 Vikings could look a whole lot different at receiver.”
CBS Sports
“So far the Cordarrelle Patterson experiment in Minnesota has been a disappointment. And while the Vikings shouldn’t (and won’t) give up on him just yet, there is still a need for a potential No. 1 receiver for Bridgewater. And Parker, Bridgewater’s former teammate at Louisville), fills that need.”
USA Today
“Think QB Teddy Bridgewater won’t be lobbying for his former college teammate given the struggles the Vikings have had trying to find a reliable No. 1 wideout? Of course this equation could change depending on the fate of RB Adrian Peterson.”
SB Nation
“You don’t need to speak with NFL sources to know Parker is a smart choice for the Vikings. He’s a difference-making wide receiver who can get vertical and work underneath routes.”
Yahoo Sports has the Vikings taking Iowa offensive lineman Brandon Scherf.
There’s no question the mocks will change, and we have yet to see post-combine mocks from Fox Sports, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, NFL.com and countless other respectable prognosticating sources; but Parker’s name clearly being tied to Minnesota.
