To this point in the pre-2015 NFL Draft process there has been a clear delineation between the top two wide receivers available, Alabama's Amari Cooper and West Virginia's Kevin White, and the rest of the pass-catching crop.
Now, it seems like at least one player, DeVante Parker, formerly of Louisville, is making a rapid ascension up draft boards and may be a fit for and focus of the new Chicago Bears brass.
"I think there's a real chance that DeVante Parker won't be there for the Vikings, his presumptive best fit, at 11th overall in the first round," writes Robert Klemko of MMQB. "The Bears (7th) are now a realistic landing spot for the former Louisville wide receiver. Beyond that, the Vikings aren't as enamored with Teddy Bridgewater's former teammate as everyone thinks they should be. If they were to pass on him, the furthest he would slide would be No. 14, to the Dolphins."
Parker, of course, played at the same college as current Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, so many have made the seemingly natural assumption that the Vikes brass would be high on adding Bridgewater's former teammate.
Now, though, it sounds like the Bears and new head coach John Fox and GM Ryan Pace may beat their NFC North rivals to it.
Parker, 6-foot-3, 209-pounds, would seem a perfect replacement for the recently departed Brandon Marshall and yet another key target for presumed starter, quarterback Jay Cutler.
"Parker does his best work when the ball is in the air," writes Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. "He uses his height and wingspan to consistently snatch anything that comes his way. Parker isn't going to overpower cornerbacks and he will have more contested catches than most explosive wideouts. He has consistently posted eye-popping yards-per-catch numbers during his time at Louisville and showed of solid athleticism at the combine. Parker has the potential to be a legitimate lead receiver for a West Coast offense."
A guy who uses his height and wingspan to his advantage who isn't going to blow past anyone - sounds quite a bit like Marshall, who was consistently posting 100-reception, 1,000-yard seasons while catching passes from the notoriously erratic Cutler.
