Redskins UDFA Spotlight: Donald Parham has the upside needed to be a project tight end

Jacob Camenker

BALTIMORE, MD - AUGUST 30: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the grass before the start of the Redskins and Baltimore Ravens preseason game at M&T Bank Stadium on August 30, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

The Washington Redskins have a few solid players at the tight end position, but they could use some long-term upside. For that reason, undrafted rookie Donald Parham could get a chance to be a project player for the team.

One position that has been an enigma of sorts of the Redskins depth chart over the course of the last decade has been the tight end position. While the team has had some talented players on the roster including Chris Cooley, Fred Davis, and Jordan Reed, injuries and suspension issues have kept them off the field. And that has led to some frustrating seasons of lacking production at tight end.

Still, the 2019 season sees the Redskins rear their heads with another more-than-solid looking crew. That is, if everything works out properly. And chances are, given the recent history of the team and specifically that position, it won’t.

Because of this, keeping quality depth in reserve would be a smart move for Washington. After all, on a team with some much apparent talent in the backfield, it makes sense to have a good group of versatile tight ends. So, the team will need to do quite a bit to ensure that they carry quality players there.

The Redskins have already made a minor move at tight end this summer. They waived Manasseh Garner, a player entering his third offseason with the team, and added undrafted rookie Donald Parham to the roster. Parham has quite a bit of upside and could be a quality get for the squad. Here’s an in-depth look at what he could offer the Redskins both currently and in the future.

SANTA CLARA, CA – NOVEMBER 23: Washington Redskins helmets on the sideline during their game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi’s Stadium on November 23, 2014 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

About Donald Parham

Parham’s journey to the NFL was certainly an interesting one. Parham went to college at Stetson University, an FCS school. And there, he certainly made an impact.

Though Parham barely logged action in his first season, he increasingly earned more playing time as his college career went along. He had six touchdown catches as a sophomore, followed that up with 817 receiving yards as a junior, and then really put things together as a senior.

Parham was able to set career highs across all categories as a senior. He caught 85 passes, totaled 1,319 yards, and scored a whopping 13 touchdowns. It’s clear that he was outplaying his competition at the FCS level and that prompted his jump to the NFL.

While Parham did receive some draftable grades, the big-bodied pass-catcher ended up going undrafted. We’ll get into why that happened later, but off the bat, he signed with the Detroit Lions. He was waived after a short stint there and found himself looking for work.

Parham earned a minicamp invite with the Redskins and impressed, catching a touchdown from Dwayne Haskins at one point during the session. That’s why the team added him to the 90-man unit and chose to give him a chance to prove himself instead of using a roster spot on Garner once again.

So, Parham impressed the Redskins enough to make the roster. And he’s going to have to keep showing well in these areas if he wants a chance at the 53-man roster.

PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 21: A Washington Redskins helmet is carried by a player before the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on September 21, 2014 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images)

What Parham does well

When watching Parham on tape, it’s clear that he has a lot of talent. By his senior year, he was much better than most of the players playing around him. And that’s why he stands out so easily.

Parham is a free and fluid mover who appears to have solid athletic ability. He is very good at running after the catch and he has good speed. But the biggest thing that Parham has is his frame.

Parham comes in at 6-foot-8, 240 pounds. He will immediately have a chance to become a red-zone weapon in the NFL as a result of this. He showed the ability to win some jump-ball catches at the FCS level, and while the NFL level may be different for them, he has top-tier height as a receiving weapon. And that’s something that the ‘Skins could look to exploit.

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In terms of his receiving ability, it is good all-around. Parham demonstrates soft hands, catches the ball away from his body. And when he has to go up for jump balls, he does well to identify the high point of the ball and positions himself well in order to make plays. This type of natural receiving ability certainly intrigued Washington, and rightfully so.

Parham also makes long strides, is solid at finding space in the defense, and has a good catch radius, something that is to be expected of a player of his size. In some ways, he is like the FCS version of Hakeem Butler, as both players were good, productive receivers at their levels who used size to their advantages. Of course, Parham’s hands are better than Butler’s while Butler is far more physical. But the point is, the two will use their height to win early in their NFL careers.

While Parham has some big-time positives, there are some negatives that could make it difficult for him to produce at the next level.

LANDOVER, MD – AUGUST 18: A Washington Redskins helmet sits on the grass during a preseason football game between the Redskins and Cleveland Browns at FedExField on August 18, 2014 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by TJ Root/Getty Images)

What Parham can improve

While Parham has a nice, 6-foot-8 frame, weighing in a 240 pounds is more than a bit lean. Comparatively, fellow 6-foot-8 tight end prospect, Zach Gentry, entered the NFL at 262 pounds. Sure, he was a fifth-round pick that went to a Power 5 school (Michigan), but that doesn’t change the fact that Parham is on the light side.

Because of his lacking weight, Parham will have to use his athletic ability more early in his career to have a chance to be productive. NFL-level talent may use physicality as a weapon and they may try to knock him off his routes and disrupt him. They should be able to do that, unless Parham can add some weight to his big frame.

Also, I’ve eluded to this quite a bit, but the jump from the FCS to the NFL level won’t be easy for Parham. It’s not easy for anybody, but a player that can particularly have an effect on a player that needs to become more physical. He’ll have to not get discouraged early on and find ways to win. He has the pure receiving talent to do it, and if he can prove to be a good route runner — which is a question mark given that he mostly ran basic routes at Stetson — he will find a way to make an impact.

How Parham fits with the Redskins

The name of the game with Parham is his upside. And that’s what the Redskins would be banking on if they take him on.

Right now, the team seems to be solid at the top of the depth chart. Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis are both serviceable players at the bare minimum. However, they come with issues as well — Reed is injury prone while Davis turned 35 in January — so having young depth behind the duo would make sense.

The ‘Skins do have some intriguing back-end roster candidates at tight end. Jeremy Sprinkle was a former fifth-round pick by the team and while he hasn’t done much as a receiver during his career, he has proven to be a strong blocker. If he makes strides as a pass-catcher, he could end up locking down the No. 3 tight end role he has held each of the past two years.

Behind him, Matt Flanagan is a well-liked blocking tight end who Chris Cooley is a fan of. If Flanagan can show strides, he could have a shot to take Sprinkle’s role or make the squad as a fourth tight end. The same can be said of JP Holtz, an H-back type who could play the fullback role in a pinch. He flashed last preseason and if Jay Gruden finally decides to keep a fullback, Holtz could have a chance.

All that said, Parham’s competition is stiff, but frankly, no player has his physical skill set. His 6-foot-8 frame and receiving ability will make him a unique fit among the back-end depth, and that could give him a chance to make the roster. He would probably need time to develop, so at best, he would be the fourth tight end. And even if the team views him as a tight end/receiver hybrid, they could still add him and use him between the positions situationally.

While Parham’s upside is high, it seems that barring a terrific preseason, the team might look to stash him on the practice squad. But, if he can make the jump to the NFL level properly and become a red-zone weapon, he could do enough to play himself onto the team. Either way, he certainly is a player to watch moving forward.

Jacob Camenker