Louisville's DeVante Parker, considered one of the top three wide receivers in the draft and a guy who might be atop the receiver list for some teams, has a visit scheduled with the receiver-needy Baltimore Ravens.
The Baltimore Sun reported the news Friday morning.
Parker (6-foot-2 5/8, 209 pounds) had 43 receptions for 855 yards (19.8 yards per catch) during the 2014 season despite missing the first six games with a foot injury. Parker had 55 receptions and 12 TD catches in 2013, when he was Teddy Bridgewater's go-to guy. His leaping ability (36.5-inch vertical leap), long arms (33 1/4 inches), height and wingspan (79 3/4 inches) give him an impressive catch radius.
"I think he's a phenomenal football player and very deserving of being a top-10 pick," Jeremiah said on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft" earlier this week. "In this draft, we have three big-time wide receivers, and when you put them all together, DeVante Parker very much belongs in that discussion."
Therein lies a rub of sorts for the Ravens: If Parker is indeed worthy of a top-10 pick, does Baltimore have any shot at getting him with their first-round pick, which is 26th?
Baltimore definitely needs to add a receiver (or two) in this draft, preferably someone who can become a legit No. 1 guy. Steve Smith was the only receiver with more than 50 catches last season, and he turns 36 in May. Parker definitely would be a nice -- and needed -- addition, but unless the Ravens move up, it's unlikely they'll be able to nab him. All six NFL Media analysts who have done mock drafts have Parker as a first-round selection, and each has him off the board no later than the 19th pick.
At his pro day earlier this month, Parker told reporters he already had visited with the Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, San Diego Chargers and San Francisco 49ers. Each of those teams pick before the Ravens, and a receiver makes sense for all four.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
