The Green Bay Packers went into day three of the 2023 NFL Draft with nine draft picks. General manager Brian Gutekunst traded down twice during the second round, adding additional fifth- and sixth-round picks. He also has two extra seventh-round picks via previous trade (Rams for Corey Bojorquez, Jaguars for Cole Van Lanen) and a compensatory seventh-round pick. The nine picks were tied for the second most of any team during this year’s draft (Jaguars had 10). With one of those nine picks, the Green Bay Packers added a wide receiver that couldn’t have been more of a perfect fit.
Green Bay Packers Add Wide Receiver Dontayvion Wicks From The University Of Virginia With The 159th Pick In The 2023 NFL Draft
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72142922/1243823231.0.jpg "Green Bay Packers Add Explosive Wide Receiver Deemed \"Perfect Fit\" For Offense 2")
After opting out of his sophomore season in 2020 due to COVID-19, Wicks exploded for 1,203 yards and 9 touchdowns in 2021, averaging over 21 yards per reception. That yardage mark was a single-season career high However, he posted just 30 catches for 430 yards and two scores over eight games in 2022 before missing the final few games. Like a few of the Packers’ other picks in this year’s draft, Wicks’ tape from 2021 was much better than his 2022 play. Part of that was due Virginia’s offense suffering mightily after a coaching change and he also dealt with injuries in the fall.
Wicks always screamed “Packer,” and now Green Bay has another big boundary receiver to pair with shifty slot receiver Jayden Reed, who they selected in the second round. Wicks truly checks all the boxes for the Packers. He’s big and thick, he’s explosive, he has solid agility times, and he’s a very willing and effective run-blocker on the perimeter. Wicks doesn’t have great long speed, but he has a good initial burst off the line, and he is another elite athlete overall:
Dontayvion Wicks was drafted with pick 159 of round 5 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.17 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 255 out of 3062 WR from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/JRenUFoqQh pic.twitter.com/SmIYMHKVVN
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2023
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