Wide receiver DeVante Parker has reportedly agreed to a new contract to remain with the New England Patriots, with the team hoping to make the playoffs for the second time in the post-Tom Brady era.
He may not be an elite wide receiver, but having him back will boost the team’s overall depth at that position, especially after they finished 19th in passing touchdowns and 20th in passing yards last season.
However, analyst Warren Sharp noted that over the past three seasons, he has finished last in the wide receiver split rankings.
pretty wild stat by devante parker
his WR separation rating using player tracking data from Next Gen Stats:
2022: #122 of 122 WRs
2021: #127 of 127 WRs
2020: #132 of 132 WRs😐 https://t.co/bicrN1ZG5S
—Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) June 28, 2023
As recently as 2019, Parker had 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns, and it seemed like he might have reached a new level after never having had as many as 800 yards in a single season.
But his production dropped to 793 yards and four touchdowns in 2020 and 515 yards and two touchdowns the following year.
If there’s a ray of hope for Parker, it’s the fact that he averaged an impressive 17.4 receiving yards in 2022.
After Jakobi Meyers, New England’s most productive wide receiver in 2022, left to join the Las Vegas Raiders, JuJu Smith-Schuster, who won a Super Bowl championship with the Kansas City Chiefs last season, will be their No. 1 receiver this fall.
They’re hoping Parker will pick things up a bit and be their consistent No. 2 receiver all season, and if he does, maybe he could help quarterback Mac Jones, who is in his third season, move to the next level.
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