Packers Select DT Devonte Wyatt with No. 28 Pick of First Round
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers haven’t drafted a receiver in the first round since 2002. That streak will continue
With the 28th overall pick of the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on Thursday night, the Packers selected Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. He will join linebacker Quay Walker, the Packers’ pick at No. 22 on Thursday night, and cornerback Eric Stokes, their first-round pick last year.
Speaking during his Zoom call, Walker couldn’t believe the Packers had drafted Wyatt. He called him a relentless defender.
“It's going to be real, real special,” Wyatt said of joining his Georgia teammates. He said Stokes had just sent him some cheese.
Here’s more on Wyatt.
Measureables: 6-2 7/8, 304. 32 5/8 arms. 4.77 40, 4.63 shuttle, DNP bench
Analytical stats: Wyatt started all 24 games during his final two seasons. He was a key part of the national championship defense with 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for losses and two forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, there are 80 defensive linemen in this draft class who rushed the passer more than 220 times. Wyatt finished 12th in PFF’s pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap.
Sports Info Solutions has data on its top 28 defensive linemen. Its adjusted tackle depth-plus metric gauges a player’s effectiveness vs. the run. Wyatt finished seventh. Runs directed at him were bounced to another gap 48 percent of the time, seventh in the class. He missed four tackles (11.1 percent), according to PFF. Of the 137 defensive linemen in the draft class to play 157 snaps vs. the run (that’s Jordan Davis’ number), Wyatt ranked fourth in PFF’s run-stop percentage, a metric that measures impact tackles and mirrors Green Bay’s win/lose method of grading.
Personal touch: Wyatt’s sprint into the first round began with a track meet. As a junior at Towers High School in Decatur, Ga., Wyatt recognized some of the kids running in the 100 and asked if his coach if he could compete.
“He was, like, ‘Hey, I can beat those guys,’” Dr. Brian Montgomery, his football coach, told Dawg Nation. “His coach says, ‘Why don’t you go ahead and win the shot put first and we’ll see what we can do. If you do, we’ll go over there and put you in the 100.’”
Wyatt won the shot. Then, he won the 100. Montgomery sent video of the race to some college football contacts. Wyatt became the first student from Towers to play at Georgia in four decades. “It was crazy the way they got off so fast, but I just kept scrambling hard, running hard,” Wyatt said. “I believed in myself. Once you believe in yourself you know you can do anything. I believed I could beat them, and I did.”
It's easy to get lost in the shadow of Jordan Davis – the All-American who is big enough to eclipse the sun. But Wyatt didn’t see it that way. "I don't even feel like the other guy,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “I felt like the family, I felt like a brother.”
His love for football was stated simply. “Ninth grade, I knew I loved football. Once I get to hitting people and you get up and smile, it's different. It's like, OK, I love this sport." He’s got a big game and a big personality. Asked at the Combine what he’d write about himself if he were a draft analyst, Wyatt said, "If I was writing about myself, I'd be like, 'This guy's amazing! He's the best guy I've ever met!' If that was me, I'd definitely be like I love this guy, he's got a great personality, he can move. He's definitely going to be a great player in the NFL, that's something I'd say about myself."
NFL Draft Bible Scouting Report: Possessing a long and explosive first step, Wyatt threatens and beats blockers with his great get off. He gets penetration against sliding fronts right off the snap. Using his hands, he breaks free when attacking upfield by using a rip move or double hand swipe. Wyatt shows upper body strength to pull waist bending blockers. As a run defender, he consistently penetrates the backfield and utilizes his upper body strength to shed blocks. A high effort player, Wyatt frequently gets home thanks to his motor.
