The Virginia Cavaliers don’t kick off for another 18 days (but who’s counting), and we’re even further away from the return of the NFL regular season. But training camp hype season is already upon us, and one former ’Hoo — wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks — is emerging as a major breakout candidate to keep an eye on this year.
A 2023 fifth-round selection by the Green Bay Packers, Wicks delivered a promising rookie season with 39 receptions for 581 yards and four touchdowns. But in the two seasons since,
the former ’Hoo has dealt with nagging injuries and struggled to stand out among a crowded Green Bay receiving corps, accumulating just 747 total yards and six touchdowns.
The Virginia product, however, enters year four with a fresh start in Philadelphia. The Eagles sent a pair of draft picks to Green Bay to acquire Wicks this offseason before giving him a one-year, $12.5 million extension, signaling their belief in the talent that produced a UVA program-record (at the time) 1,203 receiving yards in 2021.
With Philly investing in his potential, the sky is the limit for Wicks, and so far, the reports from Eagles’ training camp have been glowing. The former Virginia standout has quickly developed a rapport with quarterback Jalen Hurts, has flashed by pulling down contested catches (like the highlight-reel grab below), and has begun to run away with the WR2 battle.
The drum beat of positive news on Wicks has been steady, and his new teammates in Philly have gone out of their way to praise his potential.
“[Dontayvion Wicks] is a steal,” running back Saquon Barkley said on Up & Adams last week. “I don’t like speaking too high, because I don’t want to put too much pressure. But this guy can handle it, and I love everything that he’s about. He just brings a different type of energy for the wide receiver group … I’m excited to have him as a teammate this year.”
From an opportunity perspective, returning star DeVonta Smith is locked into the WR1 role, but the fight for targets behind him is wide open. Rookie receiver Makai Lemon, who the Eagles selected with the 20th overall pick in the first round out of USC, might have been the favorite to fill the WR2 role coming into camp, but he’s been sidelined with a hamstring injury since the spring. Practice reps are vital for rookies, and with Lemon unable to get onto the field, “at this point,” wrote Eagles’ insider Jimmy Kempski on Monday, “it’s fair … to doubt that he will start.”
Lemon’s absence has left the door open for Wicks, and by all accounts, he’s making the most of the opportunity.
“[Wicks] has looked really good,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said last week. “I don’t say this lightly, because I’ve coached this guy for five years … but he reminds me of Keenan Allen. They’re very similar at the top of the route and at the release point … but also that toughness.”
For Virginia fans, it will be great to see the former Cavalier given a real opportunity to shine on Sundays. And for the fantasy football managers out there, Wicks is a deep sleeper who could provide some serious return on investment this draft season.
The Eagles’ offense, despite its often-inconsistent passing attack, has supported two top-27 fantasy wide receivers in each of the past three seasons. And with Wicks currently going undrafted in most fantasy formats, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more promising lottery ticket to take a flyer on in the final rounds.
