Colby Parkinson was selected in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft with the 133rd overall pick by the Seattle Seahawks. A tight end from Simi Valley, Calif., Parkinson is the eighth Cardinal tight end drafted since 2010, the most in the country during that time. He is the first Cardinal drafted by the Seahawks since Richard Sherman was taken in the fifth round of the 2011 draft, and the fifth all-time (Sherman, 2011; Carl Hansen, 1998; Dave Wyman, 1987; and Andre Hines, 1980).
"Colby Parkinson is a size and athletic mismatch," Bradford M. Freeman Director of Football David Shaw said. "He makes big plays down the field and in the red zone. He will be a great addition in Brian Schottenheimer's offense and a great weapon for Russell Wilson!"
Parkinson, a 2019 team captain, was named All-Pac-12 twice in his career and was a semifinalist for the John Mackey Award as a junior. During his three seasons on The Farm, Parkinson played in 39 games with 21 starts. During his career he had 87 catches for 1,171 yards and 12 touchdowns.
"It's always fun to see all of the hard work pay off, and I'm proud to see Colby achieve his dream with the Seahawks," tight ends coach Morgan Turner said. "I can't wait to see him continue to be completely dedicated to his craft, put in the necessary work to be successful and play on Sundays. He will use his size to his advantage in the pass game and will make plays when called upon. Most important, he has great character and will be a great addition to the Seahawks' locker room."
Parkinson started all 12 games for the Cardinal in 2019, amassing 48 receptions for 589 yards and one touchdown. He also had a passing touchdown to Davis Mills in a win at Oregon State, becoming the first non-QB at Stanford since Christian McCaffrey in 2015 to throw for and catch a touchdown in the same game. More impressively, Parkinson did not have a drop in over 80 targets throughout the season.
As a sophomore, Parkinson proved to be a red zone threat, catching 29 passes for 485 yards and seven touchdowns – four of which came in a school-record-tying performance against Oregon State. As a freshman in 2017, Parkinson had four touchdown grabs on 10 receptions.
