With the Christian Watson injury, there is a lot of talk that the Packers are in desperate need of a wide receiver. Green Bay does need to find a speedy option to fill the hole created by Watson’s injury. However, the Packers do not need a bonafide #1 wide receiver. Dontayvion Wicks is a special talent. His development may not be linear but there is plenty of reasons pointing to why Packer fans should remain faithful in Wicks.
During his rookie campaign, especially when the Packers made their 2023 playoff push, Wicks really displayed how good he can be. Unfortunately, he fell short of that second year jump many hoped he would take. In 2024, Dontayvion Wicks tied for 3rd with the most drops in the NFL, with a handful of other wide receivers, including fellow Packer Jayden Reed. Both Wicks and Reed accounted for 9 dropped passes. To make matters worse, Wicks dropped 9 of the 52 catchable balls thrown his year this past season.
The positive news for Packer fans is drops are a fundamental issue. This can be fixed. It is no secret that Dontayvion Wicks must improve his consistency with catching the football. The two biggest reasons why the flame of hope should stay light are Wicks’ route running ability and the way he creates separation. These two characteristics for a wide receiver are rare in the NFL. Since he possesses these unique abilities, his ceiling is high.
Dontayvion Wicks’ Ability to Get Open
Dontayvion Wicks has a unique ability to create separation. In the graph posted above, Wicks is one of the best at making himself available to the QB against both man and zone coverage. Despite the inconsistency of catching the football, this type of ability cannot be taught. His elusiveness and ability to keep defenders on their toes is why his stock is high.
On top of his ability to create separation, Wicks runs a very effective route tree. Outside of the “In Route”, Wicks ranks in the 70th percentile or higher in separation score when running the go, the post, the corner, the out, the hitch, the crosser, and the slant routes. In fact, he ranks 99th percentile in the corner and the slant route while finishing in the 97th percentile in the crosser route and 94th in the out route.
In Conclusion: Buy Dontayvion Wicks Stock
Entering year 3, the overall speed of the game for Wicks should start to slow down. There is always discussion of the NFL game being too fast for younger players. As Wicks prepares for year 3, he will be in the same offense, with the same QB, with two full seasons, and three playoff games under his belt. The speed of the game should slow down which should result in a higher level of consistency when it comes to catching the ball. Usually, drops happen because a receiver is thinking of his next move before he secures the balls. With how effective Wicks is at creating separation and his incredible route tree running ability, the final recommendation is to buy stock in Dontayvion Wicks.
