SKOL Search: Bryce Ford-Wheaton scouting report
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This series will be your guide to the 2023 draft class. From scouting reports to mock drafts and exploring different scenarios, we will be covering the NFL draft and the future of the Minnesota Vikings from all angles.
The focus of the draft class in this space will be on the Vikings’ major 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 awarded and they need to make the most out of them.
Background
Nov 19, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (0) is honored during 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
Height-6’3″
Weight-220 lbs
Fifth-year Senior
3-Star recruit 247 Sports
Stats: 143 receptions, 1,867 yards, 15 touchdowns
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 over Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Woodi Washington (0) during 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 peppered with targets but didn’t have a consistent aDOT. He worked best on fade routes, slants and oddly enough 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 great hands and body control. He tracks the ball well and snatches it out of 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 with a hitch 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 trait. Can work a corner at 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 T.J. Tampa (2) as he reaches for a pass in the third quarter during a 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 adequate, but it’s a real concern. The acceleration doesn’t exist in any type of quality. He’s a big dude that lumbers and can move decently when he gets going after about eight strides. Having to almost exclusively use technique without quality speed and quickness to create separation is a tough ask for an NFL wide receiver.
Along with that, he doesn’t have a lot of fluidity in his route running. Ford-Wheaton is not the best athlete but he can jump adequately in contested catch situations. All in all, I fear that Ford-Wheaton is only a red zone threat.
Overview
Nov 12, 2022; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton (0) catches a pass for a touchdown over Oklahoma Sooners defensive back Woodi Washington (0) during 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 Running | 11.2/15 |
Separation | 10.5/15 |
Contested Catches | 8.9/10 |
Tracking | 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 boys: winning with strength and size over technique and explosiveness. What concerns me is how will that translate to the NFL. Plenty of receivers have come into the NFL with his playstyle and quite a few have failed. Will he be a Michael Thomas or a Laquon Treadwell? That’s a big discrepancy but at the very least, he will be a good red-zone threat and can win in the short game.
For the Vikings, he would be a very intriguing option. Like we talked about with Justin Shorter, Ford-Wheaton would give the Vikings size that they don’t have on the outside and better blocking in the running game.
