Donald Parham Ranked as Top 5 Prospect by ESPN
The inaugural XFL season lasted just five weeks thanks to the outbreak of the COVID-19 virus, but that was plenty of time for Stetson alumnus Donald Parham to make a big impression.
Parham finished third in the league in receiving yards with 304, tied for fifth in the league with 24 receptions and was tied for second with four TD receptions. Those numbers were all best in the league among tight ends.
That performance led various media outlets to take note of the 6-foot-8 former Hatter.
XFL players are eligible to sign with teams in the NFL, beginning Monday, March 23. ESPN ranked Parham as the No. 5 prospect from the fledgling league. The Sporting News listed him as the fourth best prospect and included a link to a video on Twitter.
Renegades head coach Bob Stoops was a big fan, and was so even before Dallas selected Parham in the ninth round of the 2020 XFL Draft. “We’ve liked him all along,” Stoops said. “I think the more he plays he continues to make improvement. He’s doing a great job. Makes big plays. He’s a big, strong target. When you continually make plays like that, people are going to pay attention.”
Parham’s performance in the XFL surely caught the eyes of NFL front office executives, just as he did the team writers who cover the NFL clubs. Publications covering the Baltimore Ravens, Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers have all suggested Parham would be a nice free agent addition to those clubs.
Of course, at this time of year, when NFL teams can carry as many as 80 players on their rosters, a lot of players will get a chance. But with little or no off-season, those teams will likely rely more on what they have seen, and Parham had some tremendous highlights for the Renegades in just five weeks of action.
