The most undervalued player on the team is a Packers receiver.
Although there are several gifted young receivers on the Green Bay Packers, Dontayvion Wicks was dubbed the team’s most underappreciated player before to the 2024 campaign.
Prior to training camp, Zoltan Buday of Pro Football Focus was chosen the most underappreciated player among all 32 teams. Despite the Packers having a number of options, Buday outlined what makes Wicks unique.
“There are a few contenders here, given the youthful, developing offense of the Packers, but Dontayvion Wicks, a second-year receiver, was Green Bay’s highest-graded receiver in 2023 (77.8),” noted Buday. “Then-rookie was playing at a high level at the end of the season, ranking 10th among wide receivers with an 83.6 PFF overall grade from Week 11 onward. He was second among all wide receivers in 2023 with 95.1% of his catchable targets being completed.
Whatever the public’s opinion of him, Wicks is a vital component of Green Bay’s passing game.
The Effect of Dontayvion Wicks in Green Bay
As a rookie, Wicks might have needed some time to develop into a playmaker. He was, nevertheless, one of Jordan Love’s most dependable weapons at the conclusion of the season.
Wicks had already considered the NFL before he was even a 4-star high school prospect. Wicks received very few college offers despite his talent. He made the decision to play for the Virginia Cavaliers and move away from his native Louisiana.
Wicks had a quiet rookie campaign in 2019 before missing the entire following year due to a season-ending injury. After becoming the first team All-ACC in 2021 after posting 57 receptions for 1,203 yards and nine touchdowns, he recovered spectacularly.
In 2022, Wicks made a step back. Wicks and the entire Virginia team had to deal with a shooting that claimed the lives of three players in November 2022 in addition to problems with dropping.
Wicks’s last collegiate season saw a decline in output, but the Packers still saw something in him. They selected him with the 159th overall pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Wicks made a breakthrough towards the close of his rookie season, however it took some time. During the regular season, he caught 39 receptions for 581 yards and four touchdowns. Against the Dallas Cowboys in the NFC Wild Card round, he added another receiving touchdown.
Wicks now wants to improve on his 2024 rookie performance.
Wide Receiver Is Packed for the Packers
There are other young receivers in Green Bay with similar potential as Wicks.
In 2023, Green Bay selected Jayden Reed in the second round. With two more touchdowns on the ground and eight reception touchdowns, he had an outstanding rookie campaign of his own. He became a potent weapon for the Packers because of his adaptable skill set in the slot.
Additionally, the “experienced” receivers are demonstrating genuine promise.In the NFL, Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson are starting their third seasons. Despite dealing with injuries early in their careers, the two have played in 53 games and combined for 23 receiving touchdowns.
Love wants to become a quarterback worthy of an MVP in 2024. With so many inexperienced weapons at his disposal, this season should see him advance.
Since 2022, Tyler Brooke has covered the NFL for Heavy.com, specializing in the New York Jets, Indianapolis Colts, and Green Bay Packers. His reporting has also been featured in SB Nation, Bleacher Report, FanSided, and FanDuel. He was once the editorial director of FanBuzz.
