Earlier this offseason, the New England Patriots landed veteran wide receiver DeVante Parker in a trade with the Miami Dolphins.
Parker will now jump from one up-and-coming Alabama quarterback to another — waving goodbye to Tua Tagovailoa and saying hello to Mac Jones.
The eighth-year NFL wideout likes what he’s seeing from Jones so far.
“He’s a leader. He’s a young guy, but he’s vocal as a leader. That’s what this team needs,” Parker said after a voluntary OTA practice on Tuesday, per Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. “I’ve been out here (only) a few weeks, but I see it.”
Parker said he and Jones are working on developing trust with long balls and contested catches.
“If he likes what he sees, it builds up confidence in him to have confidence in me to throw the ball up,” Parker added.
In his first season as QB1 for the Patriots, Jones proved himself as a proficient leader for Bill Belichick’s squad. Perhaps with a veteran wide receiver option like Parker joining the team, the former No. 15 overall pick can enjoy even more success at the NFL level.