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Welcome to SKOL Search!
This series will be your guide to the 2023 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we’ll cover the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from every angle.
The focus of the draft class in this space is the Vikings’ primary needs at wide receiver, running back, cornerback and both interior and edge pass rusher.
The Vikings are slated to have four picks before compensatory selections are granted and they need to make the most of them.
Background
Nov 19, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (0) is honored on Senior Day before the game against the Kansas State Wildcats at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Bryce Ford-Wheaton
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Height-6’3″
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Weight-220 lbs
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Fifth year Senior
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3-Star recruit 247 Sports
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Stats: 143 receptions, 1,867 yards, 15 touchdowns
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Games watched: Pitt 2022, Kansas 2022, Baylor 2022
Strengths
Nov 12, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (0) catches a pass for a touchdown to Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Woodi Washington (0) in the third quarter at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
He played in the Air Raid for the Mountaineers and was filled with targets but lacked consistent aDOT. He worked best on fade routes, slants and odd tunnel screens. Ford-Wheaton knows how to use his body to his advantage and screen off defenders.
What he lacks in separation and speed, Ford-Wheaton makes up for with excellent hands and body control. He tracks the ball well and grabs it in the air with strong hands.
Ford-Wheaton also has good awareness. He knows where the sticks are and when to work back to the quarterback either on an interception or a broken play. He also flashes his hands late, making it difficult for the defender to make a play on the ball.
His route running is adequate, but manipulating the blind spot is his best attribute. A corner can be made in the stem to move him and in turn, creating separation.
Weaknesses
West Virginia wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (0) spits toward Iowa State defensive back TJ Tampa (2) as he catches a pass in the third quarter during an NCAA football game at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames on Saturday, Nov. 5, 2022.
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Once he gets going, his speed is good enough, but it’s a real concern. Acceleration does not exist in any kind of quality. He’s a big dude who stands up and can move decently when he gets going after about eight steps. Having to almost exclusively use the scheme without quality speed and quickness to create separation is a tough ask of an NFL wide receiver.
At the same time, he doesn’t have a lot of fluidity in his route running. Ford-Wheaton isn’t the best athlete but he can jump well enough in contested catch situations. All in all, I fear that Ford-Wheaton is only a threat in the red zone.
Overview
Nov 12, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (0) catches a pass for a touchdown to Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Woodi Washington (0) in the third quarter at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports
Hands |
8.1/10 |
Release |
7.3/10 |
Route runs |
11.2/15 |
separation |
10.5/15 |
Contested Catches |
8.9/10 |
Monitoring |
8.2/10 |
Body Control |
8.1/10 |
YAC ability |
6.5/10 |
Agility |
6.1/10 |
Grade |
74.9/100 Fourth Round |
I enjoyed watching Ford-Wheaton. He plays like a man among men: winning with strength and size in technique and burst. What worries me is how that will translate to the NFL. Many receivers entered the NFL with his playstyle and quite a few failed. Will he be a Michael Thomas or a Laquon Treadwell? That’s a big difference but at the very least, he’ll be a good red-zone threat and can win the short game.
For the Vikings, he would be an intriguing option. As Justin Shorter and I discussed, Ford-Wheaton will give the Vikings the size they don’t have on the outside and block the run game better.
The story originally appeared on Vikings Wire
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