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With the 11th pick in Pride Of Detroit's 2015 NFL mock draft, the Minnesota Vikings select Louisville wide receiver DeVante Parker. Kudos is serving as the Vikings' general manager, and his reasoning for the pick is below.
After having arguably the best season out of last year's rookie quarterbacks, many will be expecting Teddy Bridgewater to take the next step in 2015. One way to help him make that step would be to provide him with a No. 1 receiver, and as Vikings GM, I decided to do that by selecting DeVante Parker.
The leading receiver for the 2014 Vikings was Greg Jennings, whose 742 receiving yards placed him 58th in the NFL. Minnesota traded for Mike Wallace to help bolster their receiving corps in March, but he hasn't had a 1,000-yard season since 2011. When considering his production in college, as well as the familiarity he has with his former teammate Bridgewater, it's not too hard to see Parker becoming the team's top receiver as a rookie.
After missing the first seven games of his senior season with a foot injury, the former Cardinal still managed to amass 855 yards and five TDs over Louisville's final six games. Parker possesses a big frame (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) and a large catch radius. He also tracks the ball well and excels at catching contested passes. His combination of size and skills should help accelerate Bridgewater's development.
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Check out the 2015 POD Community Mock Draft tracker for a look at all of the picks.