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Packers showing interest in sleeper wide receiver prospect
Former Virginia wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers’ to-do list has seemingly been the same in the last few offseasons. Once again in 2023, they saw multiple weapons on their offense leave in free agency, creating a void on their depth chart.

In 2022, it was Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling that left Green Bay via trade and free agency. This year, Allen Lazard and Robert Tonyan both moved on, with Randall Cobb remaining a free agent.

That will put a ton of pressure on second-year wide receivers Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs to increase their production in 2023. They will very likely be atop the depth chart, and currently have virtually zero competition for targets.

At some point during the remainder of the offseason, the Packers are going to add some pass-catching weapons to their roster. The 2023 NFL Draft could present them with that option. One player that they are potentially setting their targets on is Dontayvion Wicks, a wide receiver out of Virginia.

Wicks is currently the only wide receiver set for a top-30 visit in Green Bay and fits the mold as the kind of wide receiver that the Packers like to target. He is over six feet tall and his RAS scores are similar to what other players they have targeted normally score. His skill set is similar to that of Valdes-Scantling, as he gets a lot of his work done down the field.

In 2022, nearly half of Wicks’ receptions were 20+ yards as he is a true deep threat. His athleticism and instincts are what he lives off of right now, as he needs to improve his technique. If he can do that, he can become a very good wide receiver at the next level.

Drops have also plagued him throughout his career, which points back to needing to improve his concentration and attention to detail. Those are all coachable things at least; you cannot teach the athleticism and on-the-spot creativity that he possesses to get open.

While Wicks would bring a different element to the Packers offense, fans would certainly want to see more done at the position. He is far from a finished product and having three wide receivers atop the depth chart who have two combined years of NFL experience would certainly be a risky thing to enter the regular season with.

This article first appeared on NFL Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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