It's not exactly a secret that the St. Louis Rams could use a wide receiver in this year's NFL Draft. None of their pass-catchers topped 50 passes or 800 yards last season. Kenny Britt is solely a deep threat who has a long history of injuries. Tavon Austin is versatile but not necessarily overly effective. Brian Quick and Stedman Bailey are nice players but no one is going to confuse them with Calvin Johnson or Alshon Jeffery anytime soon.
The Rams are placing a lot of their eggs into the Nick Foles basket. To help that plan succeed, thee team has to provide him with a more talented go-to target. That is why Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker is an option with the Rams' tenth overall pick in the draft.
"At 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, Parker is a legitimate vertical threat with the length, speed and body control to take the top off the coverage," Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. wrote. "He's also a polished short-to-intermediate route runner who knows how to get open, catches the ball well and makes defenders pay for underestimating his speed after the catch."
Several teams have been linked to Parker in the draft. The Minnesota Vikings, Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins could all be targeting him. Luckily, the Rams have the highest pick of that group.
But Parker may not be the only receiver on St. Louis' radar. The Rams have also been linked to UCF speedster Breshad Perriman.
"No player has risen more on my board over the past month than Perriman, a player who I always thought looked explosive on tape, then lived up that by running sub-4.3 two separate times at his pro day," ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. wrote in his Mock Draft 4.0. "We know the Rams have a need for another potent weapon in the passing game, and Perriman could fit the bill. One of the bigger sleepers in the 2015 draft class at this point, Perriman has good length but will also prove dangerous after the catch. At one time I had him as a likely second-round pick, but now I see him as a close call in terms of overall ability next to the top few wide receivers in this class."
