The week after the 2023 NFL Draft, Dontayvion Wicks arrived at Green Bay’s facility for the first activities of the offseason program. Sitting in the locker room, he spoke with the media for a few minutes. The first question he answered was whether he had been told he couldn’t go by “Tae” because a certain No. 17 in Green Bay had previously gone by that name.
“I go by Tae,” he said. “Davante did a lot of good things, and I look up to him. Just having that name after him and being here in Green Bay, it’s a great thing.”
Wicks was a fifth-round selection by the Packers. However, once players enter the league, they get a clean slate. When a reporter asked whether he saw his opportunities the same as anyone else or if there was any bitterness about being selected late, he replied:
Just coming out of high school, it’s just like the start thing. Once you get there, it doesn’t matter. You are fighting for your position, fighting for your spot. Anybody can earn it, and it’s about what you do and how you capitalize on the opportunities you get.
Wicks’ rookie season got off to a slow start. He caught 10 passes for 140 yards and one touchdown through the first eight weeks. However, he became a completely different player after an exchange with former Packers star Aaron Jones during the game against the Los Angeles Rams. Wicks had just turned it over after fumbling the football while stretching for more yards. He went to the sideline with his head down when Jones approached him, put his hands on Wicks’ helmet, and lifted his head. Following that moment, Wicks caught 29 passes for 480 yards and three touchdowns.
One of his most impressive traits was his ability to get open against man coverage. Whether we saw it in real time or on the All-22 film, his route running was always precise, and he consistently got open against whoever was covering him. Additionally, he was the best wideout in the league out of 118 in terms of getting open against man coverage last year.
Wicks was a top-three receiver in the league while playing from the slot. He was ahead of Tyreek Hill regarding separation and post-throw performance while operating from the position.
Wicks averaged 2.2 yards per route run as a rookie. Over the past decade, 21 wide receivers have averaged more than two yards per route run in their rookie seasons, and most have gone on to have impressive careers. The Packers have three such players on their roster, including Wicks. Despite being part of one of the youngest supporting casts in NFL history and having just 15 targets through the first seven weeks of 2023, Wicks managed to rank at the top of many premium receiver stat lines.
Interestingly, one of the first questions Wicks answered was about Davante Adams because of their games’ similarities. Wicks and Adams excel as polished route runners rather than relying solely on speed. When Adams was a rookie, he learned from veterans like Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb.
In contrast, Wicks lacks that veteran presence to guide him. However, Green Bay’s current receiver room boasts four wideouts with a case for the No. 1 spot. Since Nelson’s departure in 2017 and Cobb’s in 2018, Adams, still relatively young, has been the primary focus in the receiver room.
Wicks benefits from not being the sole focus in Green Bay’s wideout lineup. Defenses can’t simply double- or triple-team him without consequence; Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, or Christian Watson will exploit any opportunities to get open.
If Jordan Love from the second half of the season shows up for most of 2024, Wicks will have a top-10 quarterback at his disposal. Last year, Love led the NFL in yards, touchdowns, and big-time throws on passes over 20 yards after Week 10. He transformed from one of the worst deep ball throwers at the start of the season to one of the best.
Dontayvion Wicks entered the league as a more polished receiver than Davante Adams did. Adams became the best receiver in the NFL over a four-year span. With Wicks’ talent, Green Bay fans have reason to believe he can be Green Bay’s next franchise receiver and potentially one of the best wideouts in the league.
