<
>

Recapping Dolphins mock draft pick: DeVante Parker

ESPN.com's NFL Nation held its annual mock draft on Monday. The show aired on ESPN2, and it was an exciting time projecting the entire first round just days before the actual NFL Draft.

Last week, we put together a Dolphins draft board combining my targets and those of our loyal readers. As Miami Dolphins general manager, I stayed true to our board.

Let’s examine our selection at No. 14:

Draft pick: WR DeVante Parker

School: Louisville

2014 stats: 43 receptions, 855 yards, five touchdowns

Analysis: I must admit I was pretty nervous going into this mock draft. I was concerned most of our top targets would be off the board at No. 14, and there was no option of trading down. Fortunately, the board mostly fell in Miami's favor. Dolphins targets such as Michigan State cornerback Trae Waynes and Iowa guard Brandon Scherff were taken in the first 11 picks. But I was excited to have our top two choices available at No. 14: Parker and Georgia running back Todd Gurley. Although I put a little thought into taking Gurley, the wise move was to stay true to our board with Parker. The Louisville receiver is healthy, can provide immediate help and has all the physical tools to develop into a top-flight receiver. The Dolphins would be fortunate to have similar results in the real NFL draft on Thursday night.