Eagles
Training camp is chugging along and I have a take to drop. If you somehow missed the title, let me be the first one to tell you that Dontayvion Wicks is the Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver 2. Okay this isn’t actually official yet but he’s making moves around camp and it certainly seems likely. Here we’ll break down why you should expect and get excited at that idea.
Let’s address the elephant in the room before we take a look at Wicks. Some of you are worried about Makai Lemon and what it means for the first-rounder if he isn’t WR2. Well don’t you worry. I truly believe this should be good for him and the Eagles long-term. College to NFL receiver is a pretty large jump. Players go from being one of the best at their college to being another player competing against pros with experience already. Add in that it is mostly a one on one battle every play, it can take a while for a player to adjust. While that may worry you, the fact we have Wicks to start as WR2 is a positive.
One thing Wicks has going for him is coaching familiarity. Eagles Offensive Coordinator, Sean Mannion, coached for the Green Bay Packers. Oh look Wicks used to play for the very same Green Bay Packers team, even during the same tenure. If a coach joins a staff and immediately recruits an old player via trade, that coach is high on him. Mannion clearly has a vision for Wicks in this new offense he’s installing. It stands to good reason that he’ll use him prominently in the offense for next year.
Enough conjecture and posturing. Let’s take a look at some concrete evidence (clips) and quotes. He’s been a standout early at training camp. Even when camp first started, he had an absolute gem of a catch from Jalen Hurts. Making catches like that are going to make you quick friends with the quarterback. Receivers that the QB can trust will play more. These are the types of plays that should fire you up as a fan. New guy comes in and immediately makes a splash. Can’t ask for more.
https://twitter.com/Eagles/status/2082926714351407297/video/1?s=46
He also was on the receiving end of a Quinyon Mitchell clip. Why would I include a clip where the receiver loses a rep? Because it shows the type of competition he’ll be facing. Not only in camp, but also on game day. If you play against stronger competition you get better as a player. Also when you look at the clip, he makes a good break and the ball is placed well. Just better defense out of Quinyon Mitchell. Either way he’s starting to make himself known by players around camp. We’ll take a look at some of those players talking about him.
Speaking of, let’s see some quotes from one Saquon Barkley and then our guy Jalen Hurts. Saquon said, “He’s a steal… I don’t know how we got him.” Which makes sense. It cost a fifth-round pick for the Eagles to acquire him and it wasn’t even the Eagles pick originally (came from the Falcons). Part of this could just be Howie being Howie and trading for an undervalued player with a late round asset. Either way, that just brings him to Philly, earning the respect of your teammates can’t just be given out.
https://twitter.com/UpAndAdamsShow/status/2085455873292607966/video/1?s=46
The other player is the aforementioned Jalen Hurts. He talked about Wicks’ work ethic and his desire to get better. Immediately going to Hurts to start putting in work is what fans, coaches, quarterbacks, the organization, and any person who wants success for the Eagles to see. This is also the perfect way to pander to Jalen Hurts, but it may just be the type of player Wicks is for the team. It’ll also be funny to see the fan reaction to a more humble receiver after the whole AJ Brown saga. Anyway if QB 1 likes Wicks then that’s good enough for me.
At the end of the day, any type of position competition is good for the team overall. The role should go to Wicks to start the season. He’s just demonstrated more so far than anyone not named Devonta Smith. If Makai Lemon does take the receiver 2 spot, that just shows how well Lemon can play to overcome Wicks. Either way, I’m excited to see Dontayvion Wicks finally get going when the regular season starts.
Sources: Eagles on X, Cooper DeJawn3 on X, Up and Adams Show via X, Reuters Connect Images
Discover more from Philadelphia Sports Nation
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Hello, I’m a greater Philadelphia native writing mostly about the Eagles and the rest of the NFL. Articles aren’t … More about Kyle Lavin
Categorized:Eagles
