Dontayvion Wicks NFL Draft Profile
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 206 lbs.
School: Virginia
2023 NFL Draft: Dontayvion Wicks Scouting Report
In Dontayvion Wicks’ first year at Virginia he got three passes for 61 yards, only a suggestion of the big-play potential to come. Unfortunately, an injury side-lined him the entire 2020 campaign. In 2021 he broke the Virginia single-season receiving-record (1,203 yards, nine touchdowns) and stunned scouts across the NFL as a potential breakout player. However, 2022 was incredibly challenging for Wicks, as he consistently lost focus and dropped balls, resulting in only 30 receptions for 430 yards and a pair of scores.
Wicks’ career has the potential to grow into something special in an NFL receiving room. He has the talent, but the pressure or chaos of 2022 may have gotten to him. A team late in the NFL Draft is likely to select Wicks on his big-play potential alone, as that pushed him to become a top player at the university level in 2021. Jumping into the NFL might prove challenging, but it will also provide him top-coaching that could turn him into a down-field threat.
Strengths
- Stretch the field threats
- High-production in 2021 flashed unique talent
- Excellent insights into position of football
- Incredibly quick after-the-catch
- Gets past slow secondary defenders, quickly
Weaknesses
- Dropping the football too much (14 drops 2020-21)
- Not precise on short or mid-routes
- Does not compete for the football in the air
- Limited ability against bigger NFL safeties or linebackers
- Needs to improve route processing
- Injury questions
NFL Comparison: Equanimeous St. Brown
Teams With Need at Position: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Philadelphia Eagles, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Houston Texans
Projection: Sixth Round
Bottom Line on Dontayvion Wicks
Dontayvion Wicks could become a special player at the NFL level, especially with his deep-threat potential. Once he catches the ball, he can escape downfield before any defender realises that he has the ball. Moreover, with the right coaching, he might become a star-deep threat in the NFL. Any receiver who breaks a school’s single-season receiving record has that underlying skill. Yet, his lack of consistent delivery and top-shape focus raise concerns over potential limitations at the NFL level.
There is a certain refinement some of these deeper NFL receivers need. A lack of production is a startling sign for Dontayvion Wicks, and certainly his 2020 injury raises questions if a quiet pain held-back his productivity. Questions on short and mid-routes will also be important to his development. Regardless, teams have scheduled several interviews with him and have been seeing him in workouts.
An NFL team will select Wicks in the 2023 NFL Draft. Their reward should be a late-round wide receiver who is reminiscent of Seattle Seahawks Ben Obomanu or the contemporary Chicago Bears wide out Equanimeous St. Brown. He has the speed and athleticism to stretch the field and the ability to break away after. Although the ‘deep-threat’ trait might make him a one-dimensional player for a few years, proper coaching and time in the NFL could make him a viable fourth receiver for a solid NFL career.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
