Green Bay Packers take Dontayvion Wicks with pick No. 159

The Green Bay Packers have used the 24th pick in the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft to take Virginia wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks. The Packers traded for the No. 159 overall pick in the second round of this year’s draft.

In 2021, Wicks had a record-setting year with the Virginia Cavaliers, hauling in 1,203 receiving yards, setting the single-season receiving yardage record for the Cavaliers. He surpassed the record set by Herman Moore (1,190 receiving yards) in 1990. Wicks also tied Germane Crowell for the most 100-plus receiving yard games in a single season in UVA history (six total). On Sept. 30, 2021, he also hauled in one of the catches of the year against the Miami Hurricanes.

His 77-yard catch and run in the second quarter against Georgia Tech was the longest play from scrimmage for the Cavaliers during the 2021 campaign. Wicks also averaged 21.1 yards per catch, the most in the ACC and the fifth most in the nation. Following his record-setting season, he earned honorable mention All-American honors from Pro Football Network. He also earned first team All-ACC honors. In 2022, his production dipped dramatically, and he reeled in 30 catches for 430 receiving yards and two touchdowns.

Coming out of Plaquemine High School (Plaquemine, Louisiana), Wicks flew under the radar nationally as a high school football prospect in the 2019 cycle. He was rated as the No. 802 overall prospect in the country and a three-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Rankings.

Day two and day three picks can be challenging to nail, and during Brian Gutekunst’s time as the Packers GM, he has landed some quality talent in the second round. But, at the same time, he’s had a few whiffs in the third round of the NFL Draft.

In the Packers’ most recent drafts, they have selected the likes of Elgton Jenkins, AJ Dillon, Josh Myers, and, most recently, in 2022, Christian Watson. In contrast, in the following round, Green Bay has missed on Oren Burks, Jace Sternberger, and Amari Rodgers. Last year’s third-round pick, offensive lineman Sean Rhyan could find himself in that category if he fails to carve out a role on the offensive line for the second season in a row.

The youth movement is fully underway in Green Bay. The Packers missed the playoffs for the first time since their 6-9-1 2018 season. And similar to that year, failing to make the playoffs set off a major change for the franchise. This season’s major move; deciding to part ways with former MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers and handing the keys to the franchise over to Love.

After around two months of back and forth between the Packers and Jets, Green Bay officially agreed to send Rodgers to New York. Green Bay received precisely what they needed to jump-start this rebuild in a ton of draft capital in this year’s draft. The Packers swapped first-round picks with the Jets, moving from 15 to 13. They also picked up an additional second-round selection, No. 42, and a sixth-rounder. Green Bay also received a little future equity in a 2024 second-round pick, that has the possibility to become a first-rounder, depending on the number of snaps Rodgers takes in New York.

On3’s Justin Rudolph also contributed to this article.