What can we expect from rookie DeVante Parker after his offseason foot surgery?
In a stunning development, an NFL agent recently proclaimed that “everything is perfect” with his client’s recovery from offseason foot surgery. The specific player referenced here is the Miami Dolphins’ prized rookie receiver DeVante Parker, and the remarks were made by his agent, James Gould, according to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.
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Injury History
To recap, Parker broke the fifth metatarsal in his left foot (also called a Jones fracture) during the 2014 preseason at Louisville and missed seven games after having surgery to insert a screw. The good news is that he came back from that injury in mid-October of his senior season. Parker eventually went on to average an eye-popping seven catches for 143 yards and just under a touchdown per tilt during the final six games of the Cardinals’ stretch run that year.
But a second surgery within a year on that same foot has understandably stirred questions among the fantasy community. Naturally, his agent claims the injury is not a concern. Gould even pointed to Parker’s 10 endorsement deals – tops among NFL rookies – as a tribute to his “quiet confidence” and squeaky-clean record off the field.
“I don’t think it will happen again,” said Gould, who added that doctors don’t believe the foot will be a recurring problem. “They got it right.”
Gould confirmed the No. 14 overall pick remains on track for Week 1, although he did stop short of proclaiming that Parker will play any preseason games, and there lies the conundrum for fantasy owners.
Tantalizing Talent
On the surface is a 6-foot-3, 209-pound receiver equipped with long arms and soft hands. Parker impressed during field drills at the combine in addition to posting a 36 ½-inch vertical and a 4.45 40 time.
NFL Network’s Charles Davis recently went on the Joe Rose Show and gushed about the rookie’s ball skills and overall skillset, saying Parker “takes no backseat” to top-10 picks Amari Cooper and Kevin White. That sentiment is shared on record by more than a few analysts and scouts. Of course, that’s awfully high praise for a player who never posted a 1,000-yard receiving season in college. Still, Parker backed up the talk during OTAs. He prompted the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero to even go so far as to label Parker the best rookie receiver he had seen in his 26 years of covering the team. But the hype machine came to a halt last month when Parker began feeling discomfort in his surgically-repaired foot, which led to another procedure to replace the screw from his 2014 surgery. As of this posting, he is roughly halfway through the estimated eight-week recovery timeline.
Points of Comparison
Parker is certainly not the first big-name receiver to suffer a re-injury of a surgically repaired foot – Julio Jones, Hakeem Nicks and Demaryius Thomas all fit into that category. Jones is probably the closest comparison, given that he suffered the very same injury twice in a span of 33 months. Jones missed the final 11 games of the 2013 season but then bounced back last year to catch 104 passes for 1,593 yards.
Another popular parallel has been drawn with second-year wideout Odell Beckham Jr. Beckham missed the first month of his rookie season with a nagging hamstring issue and was mostly left off draft boards before taking the NFL by storm. However, it would be wise to rein in similar expectations as only 11 rookie receivers have cracked 1,000 yards in the last 20 years. Granted, nearly half (five) of those seasons have taken place in just the past four years alone, with other recent newcomers like Jones and Sammy Watkins coming within a catch or two of that mark.
So why the recent burst? For one, last year’s WR class stands alone in NFL history. Second, the college game has adapted more and more pro concepts while NFL offenses have continued to spread ‘em out and air it out. This means rookie receivers are coming into the league more ready than ever to produce right away. Parker is not quite on ODB’s level, but make no mistake, he does have star potential.
Conclusion
Parker’s latest procedure was described as a precautionary measure to allow him to play pain-free when the games count, and that he could have played through the injury if it happened during the regular season. Fair enough, although two surgeries in a year certainly cloud things a bit. It’s also not clear whether he also had a bone graft, which would push the recovery timeline closer to three months according to doctors. In either case, we’re talking about a rookie who will need to get up to speed with a new offense.
The good news for Parker is that all of that insane 2014 production at Louisville came AFTER the initial surgery. Even with all of these questions, Parker is a good bet to return flex value more often than not, with the potential for more at his current 12th-round ADP in 12-team leagues. Just don’t go into the season leaning on him as your WR2. Owners in keeper and especially dynasty formats would be wise not to drop Parker on their draft boards.
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Mike Castiglione is a correspondent at FantasyPros. For more from Mike, you can view his archive or follow him @RickDancin.
