The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Texas A&M program has not been kind to Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.
In the 2019 NFL Draft, Gutekunst selected a pair of Aggies. In the third round, he selected Texas A&M tight end, Jace Sternberger. Then in the fifth round, Gutekunst selected defensive lineman Kingsley Keke. Fast forward three years and those two former Aggies are no longer on Green Bay’s roster.
Texas A&M has plenty of talent in the 2022 NFL Draft that will tempt Gutekunst to dip his toes back into the College Station prospect pool. Jalen Wydermyer is one of those players. The Texas A&M tight end checks in at No. 40 in the Unpacking Future Packers countdown.
Wydermyer finished his career at College Station with 33 career starts under his belt. As a freshman in 2019, the Texas native led the Aggies with six receiving touchdowns. To go along with those six touchdowns, Wydermyer caught 32 passes for 447 yards.
In 2020, Wydermyer recorded 46 receptions for 506 yards and six touchdowns. This past season he caught 40 passes for 515 yards and four touchdowns.
Wydermyer finished his career at College Station with a program record for receiving touchdowns by a tight end (16).
After bursting onto the scene as a freshman, Wydermyer never managed to take his game to the next level. Although he never took that “leap” Wydermyer has the tools and talent to develop into an impact tight end at the next level.
Wydermyer is ready-made in terms of his size and frame (6-4, 255 pounds). He has a large catch radius and does a good job of attacking the ball and boxing out defenders at the catch point. He’s comfortable working in the middle of the field.
Jalen Wydermyer makes some really tough catches…exciting middle of field+RZ threat in this TE class pic.twitter.com/qaYUw18VVE
— Connor Rogers (@ConnorJRogers) December 21, 2021
The former four-star recruit has easy acceleration off the line of scrimmage. He has the quickness to threaten the seam. He doesn’t labor in and out of his cuts. With his quickness, Wyderymyer has the ability to be a three-level receiving threat.
“He can definitely stick his foot in the ground and change direction quickly,” Mark Passwaters, the Texas A&M reporter for Rivals.com, said. “Before Haynes King, the starter, got hurt last year, A&M had some deep out and up routes in the playbook for Wydermyer.”
Wydermyer has some juice after the catch. With his size, he can be a load to take down for defensive backs and shows some wiggle to make defenders miss in the open field. He keeps his legs driving and fights for extra yards.
“You’re talking about a guy who is 6-4, 255 pounds, but can make smaller players miss,” Passwaters said. “When he gets moving, he’s a load to bring down.”
Wydermyer struggled with drops this past season, something that didn’t show up during his first two seasons at Texas A&M. According to Pro Football Focus, the Texas A&M tight end dropped eight passes this past season. He only had two drops in 2020. He has good hand strength and was good in contested catch situations.
“I think it was a lack of focus and a quarterback in Zach Calzada who threw rockets regardless of what kind of throw was needed,” Passwaters said. “When Kellen Mond, now with the Minnesota Vikings, was A&M’s quarterback, he didn’t have any issues. In fact, he made some pretty impressive one-handed catches.”
Wydermyer works hard as a blocker. He needs to learn to play with better pad level to move defenders as a run blocker.
“He didn’t block much during his first two seasons at A&M,” Passwaters said. “He did a lot more this year and he was pretty solid in this department.”
Fit with the Packers
The Green Bay Packers need to add a pass-catching tight end to go along with Josiah Deguara and Marcedes Lewis.
Wydermyer is a well-rounded tight end that could make an immediate splash in the passing game, just like he did as a freshman at Texas A&M. With his size and deceptive quickness, Wydermyer has the tools to be a mismatch at the next level.
“If you love Kyle Pitts, and why wouldn’t you Wydermyer is someone you’d want,” Passwaters said. “He has a lot of similarities. He’s not as fast, but he’s bigger. Linebackers will have trouble with him and safeties are too small. I think he could put up big numbers in the NFL.”
Since arriving at College Station in 2019, Wydermyer was one of the most reliable pass-catching tight ends in the SEC. That’s where he could carve out a role as a rookie for the Packers.
While catching passes from Aaron Rodgers, Wydermyer could put up a stat line of 50 catches for 500 yards and five touchdowns.
That’s the type of impact Green Bay needs from the tight end position and Wydermyer could answer the call.
