WVU WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton signs deal following 2023 NFL Draft

Former West Virginia wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton went undrafted on Saturday in the 2023 NFL Draft. Shortly after the draft ended on Saturday evening, he signed an undrafted free agent contract with the New York Giants, according to Max Olson of The Athletic. His final two seasons at West Virginia were the best of his college football career and the New York Giants are hoping he can come in and compete for a roster spot.

In the 2022 season, Ford-Wheaton started all 12 games at wide receiver, hauling in 62 catches for 675 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns. He led the Mountaineers in both catches and receiving touchdowns, while ranking second on the roster in receiving yards. Following the season, he reeled in second team All-Big 12 honors from the league’s coaches and Phil Steele. One of his best games of the 2022 campaign and his college football career, came against the Kansas Jayhawks, when he hauled in 11 catches for 152 receiving yards, while pulling in two touchdowns.

During the 2021 campaign, Ford-Wheaton posted solid numbers, even if they weren’t quite as good as his 2022 stats. He played in 12 games at wide receiver, starting nine of them. The 6-foot-3, 224-pound wideout once again ranked among the best on the team in three important stat categories: second in catches (42), second in receiving yards (575), and third in touchdown catches (3).

During the 2020 season, he started all nine games for the Mountaineers, hauling in 27 catches and 416 receiving yards and three touchdowns. There was something about the Kansas Jayhawks that brought out the best in him. He earned WVU Offensive Player of the Week honors after hauling in five catches for 89 receiving yards and a touchdown. He also became the first player in WVU history to wear the No. 0.

According to his On3 player profile, Bryce Ford-Wheaton’s grandfather, Garrett Ford, Sr., was the first player to ever rush for 1,000 yards in a season and break the 2,000-yard career threshold. His grandfather was inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

In the 2018 recruiting cycle, Bryce Ford-Wheaton flew under the radar nationally. He was rated as the No. 749 overall prospect in the country and a three-star recruit, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. He played his high school football at Holly Springs High School (Holly Springs, North Carolina). Ford- Wheaton earned offensive MVP honors his senior year, despite missing six games due to a shoulder injury.

What NFL Draft analysts are saying about Bryce Ford-Wheaton

NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein recently gave a breakdown of Bryce Ford-Wheaton’s skill set on the NFL website. While the NFL insider notes that he does have blazing speed that he showcased at the combine (4.38-40 yard dash), Zierlein wants the former WVU star to prove he can consistently play up to his athletic potential.

“Ford-Wheaton is a big, long wideout specializing in downfield jump-ball victories. He’s a high-riser with an above-average wingspan, but he rarely slips past press coverage easily and fails to separate like he should relative to the blazing speed he showed at the NFL Scouting Combine,” Zierlein noted.

“He’s a raw route runner with tight hips and a lack of attention to detail that allows defenders to anticipate breaks and contest his catches on a regular basis. Ford-Wheaton has the size and hand strength to post victories on 50-50 throws, but he will need to prove he can consistently play to his athletic ability,” Zierlein wrote.