The Green Bay Packers went back to their growing Georgia pipeline with their second first-round pick in 2022, taking defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt at No. 28 overall on Thursday night.
The Packers believe they are getting a penetrating interior defender with elite athleticism and movement ability for a 300-pounder.
Want to learn more about Wyatt, who started 25 games for Georgia’s incredible defense over the last two seasons? Here’s what several prominent draft analysts said about Wyatt during the pre-draft process:
Dane Brugler, The Athletic (draft guide):“A two-year starter at Georgia, Wyatt played mostly over the B gap as a three-technique in former defensive coordinator Dan Lanning’s 3-4 base scheme, also seeing snaps at nose tackle. He led all Georgia defensive linemen in tackles the last two seasons and took advantage of the extra year of eligibility, enjoying his most complete season in 2021. With his athletic traits, Wyatt can win in different ways off the ball, displaying initial quickness, lateral range and chase down speed. In the run game, he understands how to leverage gaps and find the ball carrier, although he would benefit from becoming a better finisher. Overall, Wyatt needs to play with better control and play recognition, but he fires off the ball and competes with the speed and effort to make an impact on all three downs. Wyatt has NFL starting skills and is the best three-technique tackle in this draft class.”
Daniel Jeremiah, NFL.com: “Wyatt is a thick/square defensive tackle with spectacular quickness. He flashes some big-time ability as a pass rusher, getting off the ball with nice burst and leverage. He has collected pressures/sacks with quick arm-overs, nifty spins and power. He is really dynamic when he changes directions, crossing the face of his opponent. His stats don’t jump off the page, but that was more the result of all the talent around him on Georgia’s defense. Against the run, he keeps a low pad level and controls the point of attack. He has stellar range. Wyatt has tremendous upside and could emerge as the top interior lineman in this class.”
Lance Zierlein, NFL.com: “Highly active defensive tackle with decent strength. Wyatt is made for movement and disruptions. He helped himself in 2021 with better tape both against the run and as a pass rusher. His lateral quickness is useful in beating zone blocks and in sliding across the front in a game-based pass rush. Wyatt has adequate strength but struggles to withstand a second blocker. The traits are average, but the effort is consistent and Wyatt should fit nicely as a rotational, gap-seeking three-technique with disruptive flashes.”
Mike Renner, Pro Football Focus (draft guide): “Between the two Georgia defensive tackles (Jordan Davis), Wyatt is the far more explosive athlete, and it showed as a pass-rusher, where he finished with an 84.0 grade. He was dominant at the Senior Bowl.”
Bleacher Report Scouting Department: “Devonte Wyatt is stuck being the “other” Georgia defensive tackle in this class, but he is a good prospect in his own right. Though he may not have ideal length, he rocks a sturdy build that he can still move well enough to play all over the line. Wyatt played a little of everything between 0-tech and 5-tech at Georgia. In the NFL, he projects mostly as a 3-tech who can moonlight at 1-tech, but the versatility he showed in college was encouraging. Wyatt’s game is defined by how well he comes off the ball. He can explode up the field to knock a lineman back, as well as rip across the line of scrimmage into a different gap. Wyatt also plays with excellent leverage to ensure he delivers on his explosiveness, which is absolutely necessary considering his average length and inconsistent hand placement. Wyatt also handles himself well in the running game against single blocks, in part because of how well he takes control early. He can then finish on plays thanks to his good balance to stay upright and eye discipline to see the backfield correctly. That said, Wyatt’s anchor suffers immensely against double-teams because he does not have the raw strength in his lower body to withstand that much weight trying to move him. Early on, Wyatt’s ability to come off the ball and play with discipline should be enough for him to be a quality starter while he works to get more consistent with his hands and develop a fuller pass-rushing approach.”
The Draft Network: “Georgia’s Devonte Wyatt has been a four-year contributor for the Bulldog defense and has improved with each season. As a senior, Wyatt has seemingly put everything together and had a breakout season, which has earned him a trip to the Senior Bowl. Wyatt is an excellent athlete inside, displaying quickness and burst to penetrate gaps. He is a disruptive interior rusher with the quickness to win the edges inside and shoot gaps. Wyatt plays with good balance and has excellent change of direction and lateral mobility. He has very good speed overall to cross offensive linemen’s faces and is excellent with his hands, showing an ability to tie rush moves together inside. Wyatt is susceptible to power in the running game and there are times he loses gap integrity, especially when forced to face double teams. He has just average power overall and wins primarily with his first-step quickness and motor. A versatile defender, Wyatt can align anywhere along the line of scrimmage. having had success playing 0-tech all the way to rushing outside at 7-tech. A player whose best football is still ahead of him, Wyatt has the size, length, pass rush instincts, and athleticism to develop into a consistent interior rusher at the next level.”
