DeVante Parker blooms into one of best receivers in NFL and Dolphins history

When DeVante Parker was injured, he believed. When Parker was struggling, he believed. Time and time again, Parker said he was one of the best receivers in the NFL.

And people laughed. There is no reason to laugh any more. Parker is.

At the conclusion of Sunday's games, no receiver in the NFL had more receiving yards than Parker's 1,280 over the last 16 weeks, dating back into 2019.

No receiver had more. Nobody.

"It means a lot," Parker said Monday, when asked about becoming one of the best receivers in Dolphins history. "But I’m not really focused on that. I’m just focused on getting wins for this team. That’s the biggest thing.”

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Parker is closing in on Jarvis Landry for 8th on the all-time Dolphins receiving list. Landry is revered by Dolphins fans. And if things stay on this track, Parker should be revered, too.

Parker has matured physically and emotionally. He still doesn't say much in press conferences, but that shouldn't affect our perception of his performance.

Parker is now a dominant player. When on the field, he is almost impossible to cover. And — he now plays through pain and injury.

On Sunday, Parker had to leave briefly due to a right ankle injury. But he returned and posted a career-high 10 catches for 110 yards.

“I would say I was just younger back then and I wasn’t used to injuries like that all of the time," Parker said. "It was something new for me. But now as you get older, you realize that it’s just something that you can play through.”

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Parker finished fifth in the NFL in receiving last season. He's fourth in the AFC (18th in the league) in receiving now. The emergence of Preston Williams as a legitimate receiving threat has not changed the fact that Parker is the teams' top receiving threat.

"DeVante is a great player for us, one that I’m always going to rely on especially in tough situations," quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick said Sunday. "He did some good things versus zone coverage today, just finding the spot and running after the catch. He’s a big part of what we do."

Parker is 340 yards shy of Landry's Miami career mark. Parker has played about half as many games in a Dolphins uniform as legendary Mark Duper and Mark Clayton.

If Parker were to play 73 more games, at the same pace, he would end his career with 7,396 yards, which would put him behind only Duper, Clayton and Nat Moore.

That's a long way away. But it shows that Parker has the potential to be considered among Miami's greats, if he continues to do what he's been doing. Once perceived as a bust, Parker has the ability to one day enter the Dolphins' "Ring of Honor."

"If an opportunity comes my way, I just have to make the plays no matter what," Parker said. "Injured or not.”

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