Christian Watson being sidelined for the first two games has led to more snaps for Packers fifth-round rookie Dontayvion Wicks, who has been able to take advantage of those opportunities, even when the ball isn’t coming his way.
“What we’ve seen in practice has been great,” said Matt LaFleur about Wicks. “He’s done a nice job. He always knows what he’s doing, whether it’s in walkthroughs or in practice, he doesn’t make many mistakes. I thought that he played physical (in Week 1) and did his job.”
Buy Packers TicketsThrough two weeks, Wicks has been on the field for 62 snaps, the second-most at the receiver position behind Romeo Doubs. He’s played both inside and out, with 67 percent of his snaps coming on the boundary and the other 33 percent from the slot. He has two receptions, both of which came against Atlanta for 40 yards and a touchdown.
While on their own, Wicks’ numbers aren’t going to leap off the page; stats don’t always tell the entire story, either. He is being asked to fill a variety of roles within this Packers offense and, for the most part, is executing them. We’ve seen Wicks used as the motion man. He’s been targeted at three levels of the field and has shown to be a willing and capable blocker for his size.
“He’s a guy that’s very intelligent,” added LaFleur. “He works his butt off. He always has a ton of questions. So we’ve got complete confidence that he’ll be able to go out there and execute.”
Wicks does not have the same blazing sub-4.4 speed that Watson or Jayden Reed have. During the pre-draft process, he ran a 4.62-second 40-time at the NFL Combine. However, he is a very refined route runner and has an excellent release package at the line of scrimmage, which allows him to consistently create separation against defenders.
On his touchdown catch on Sunday, Wicks was sent in motion, and with the ball being snapped while he was still on the move, Wicks was able to get up on the defender quickly, and then with the suddenness at which he broke inside, he created the separation he needed to make the catch and break the tackle for the score.
Although Wicks may not have top-end speed, he still ranked as one of the best downfield receivers during the 2021 college football season, in large part because of his route-running abilities.
With Wicks being able to win as a route runner in several ways, it allows him to take on various roles and responsibilities within this Packers offense and gives him the opportunity to win in all parts of the field as a pass catcher.
Once Watson does return, Wicks’ role in the offense will decrease to a degree. He will then be the third boundary option behind Watson and Doubs and the fourth receiver overall. Last season, nearly a quarter of Watson’s snaps came from the slot. That element, again, should be an important aspect of the Packers’ offense this season, and when Watson is lined up there, it will allow the Packers to get Wicks on the field on the boundary.
He can also provide a change-of-pace option for Reed in the slot as a bigger-bodied pass catcher that the defense has to cover. At this point as well, the snap counts for Samori Toure and Malik Heath will likely dwindle as well, especially with how active the running backs and tight ends are in the passing game, along with how often the Packers are utilizing 21 and 12 personnel–there just won’t be many snaps to go around for a fifth wide receiver.
As a fifth-round rookie who has also missed a fair amount of practice throughout training camp and the preseason with an injury, you never quite know what to expect in those first few games, and that’s if that player even has a role. However, Wicks very much looks the part as a receiver and as a route runner and can do quite a few things for this Green Bay offense.
“He’s got all the tools,” said offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich prior to Week 1. “He does. He’s got good size, good speed, good hands. I think he‘s a guy that as he keeps getting experience, sky’s the limit for him….He’s bigger than Romeo, as far as size and stuff like that, but he’s in that same mold.”
