2024 NFL Draft Profile: Devontez Walker, WR, UNC

Pros:

Walker is a natural playmaker, at his best with the ball in his hands.

He’s equally dangerous in catch-and-run situations as Walker is taking the top off a defense

Walker tracks the ball well downfield and consistently runs under long throws.

He’s a fluid athlete with excellent short-area quickness; he should be able to create separation, and he has the straight-line speed to threaten down the seam.

Has a tall frame and long arms, plus strong hands, giving him a huge catch radius.

Keen zone awareness and ability to exploit defensive gaps.

Agile, with effective curvilinear acceleration.

Efficient footwork on back-shoulder plays.

When used downfield, he shows the ball-tracking skills and hand-eye coordination to make the adjustment on underthrown balls and back-shoulder throws.

Cons:

Shows hesitation in initial upfield burst, affecting ability to hide routes

Lacks nuanced head and eye movements at the top of routes.

Needs development in short-area quickness and agility.

Inconsistent in selling the entirety of the route tree, notably on short-to-intermediate routes.

Route tree limited primarily to vertical concepts; it will take time to develop a full NFL-level route tree.

Summary:

Devontez Walker from West Charlotte High School was rated a After high school, Walker opted to join Kent State.

As a sophomore in 2022 he played 12 games and had 58 catches for 921 yards for an average of 15.9 yards per catch, with 11 TDs, and an elite QB rating when targeted of 123.2.

His transfer to North Carolina marked another step up, he played 8 games and hauled in 41 catches for 699 yards for an average of 17.0 yards per catch, with 7 TDs, and QB rating when targeted of 114. Another weapon for the Buccaneers.

Information in this article first appeared on NFL Draft Buzz and is used with permission. Find the latest coverage, analysis, and player rankings for the 2024 NFL Draft at nfldraftbuzz.com