After staying relatively healthy during the off-season and pre-season, the Green Bay Packers seemed to have caught a bit of the injury bug heading into Week One. As it turns out, the Packers’ top two wide receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are both questionable to start the season. Both young stars are dealing with hamstring injuries to start the year. Given this news, the Packers may call upon an unexpected wide receiver who is already on the roster.
The Green Bay Packers May Call Upon Rookie Wide Receiver Dontayvion Wicks In Matchup Vs The Chicago Bears
Bill Huber of Packers Central highlighted this potential situation earlier today:
Green Bay Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks missed five practices at the start of training camp due to a concussion. He missed most of the final two preseason games due to a hamstring injury.
That’s not the ideal way for any rookie to get ready for Week 1. But, ready or not, that’s the predicament for Wicks, who returned to practice on Wednesday after a 2 1/2-week absence, and the Packers, who might face the Chicago Bears on Sunday without their only proven receivers, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.
In a perfect world, Wicks would maybe get a couple weeks of live reps at practice and perhaps a smattering of snaps in a game to get him ready for a larger role. But, as it stands, the only receivers on the 53-man roster who are healthy and ready to go are second-year player Samori Toure, second-round rookie Jayden Reed and undrafted rookie Malik Heath.
What Does Dontayvion Wicks Bring To the Packers’ Offense?
What does a prototypical Green Bay Packers receiver look like from a height and weight perspective? It’s Dontayvion Wicks. With a height of over 6’0″ and a weight of over 200 pounds, he has the larger frame that the Packers historically covet.
Wicks posted an elite Relative Athletic Score, bolstered by his height and weight, as well as his performance in the vertical and broad jumps, but his 40-yard dash time was just 4.57 seconds. However, many wide receivers had succeeded in this league without a blazing fast 40 time.
While Wicks’ game needs refinement – as it does with any fifth-round draft pick – his route-running ability provides him with a number of ways to win. Wicks’ ability to play at all levels of the field can make him a threat in this Packers’ offense. It becomes increasingly difficult for the defense to predict what will happen pre-snap as more pass-catchers win in this manner. In college, Wicks was mostly a boundary target, but his route running ability could make him a matchup problem from the slot.
With the Packers possibly down one or two of their top receivers, Wicks may be called upon much earlier than expected.
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