It may not be good news regarding Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith, but Dontayvion Wicks has shown over the last three weeks that he can step up to the plate when needed.
The latest injury report listed Smith as not practicing for the second straight day with a hamstring injury, putting his status for the Eagles' Week 4 game against the Los Angeles Rams in jeopardy. ESPN Eagles reporter Tim McManus then reported that Smith is not looking very likely to play in the Rams game.
That leaves major questions at wide receiver, as the Eagles might not have Smith and Hollywood Brown for the game due to injuries. One thing is clear, though: Wicks is a guy the Eagles can 100% trust to move up to WR1 on this team.
Dontayvion Wicks is ready to prove to everyone he can be Eagles' WR1
Training camp already proved things would be different with Wicks, as he had the tough task of physically replacing A.J. Brown in the lineup. That seemed to work out well, as Wicks and Jalen Hurts created instant chemistry from Day 1 and have flourished since.
Starting in the Eagles' Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders, Wicks made impact plays on both of his catches. One went for over 60 yards on a deep throw, and the other was a great catch he got with the ball going to the ground for a short touchdown.
He followed it up with a second straight game, going for over 70 yards and helping the Eagles survive against the Tennessee Titans. Despite the Week 3 struggles and loss to the Chicago Bears, he still caught five passes for 32 yards as one of the team's leading receivers.
In three games, Wicks has caught nine passes for 179 yards and one touchdown, averaging 19.9 yards per catch and tying for fourth in the NFL. Pro Football Focus has his overall grade at 65.5, ranking him 48th among 85 qualified wide receivers. His receiving grade is a 69.6, ranking 40th in the NFL.
Wicks was asked by reporters with the news of Smith whether he would be ready to step up to be the WR1. He seemed confident in his ability to get the job done.
"Being me, the player I am, I already have that confidence," Wicks said via The Athletic's Zach Berman.
Not looking good for DeVonta Smith on Sunday.
— Zach Berman (@ZBerm) October 2, 2026
Caught up with Dontayvion Wicks today. He said he's ready to step into the No. 1 role if Smith's absent.
"Being me, the player I am, I already have that confidence," Wicks said.
The Eagles have seen it all from Wicks through the first three weeks of the season. His size is making a difference, but two aspects of his game set him apart from the rest of the receivers: his ability to get open and his ability to pick apart defenses for big yards.
Wicks has been open a lot, which shows how good a route runner he is, since he can get so open on those 12- to 15-yard plays. He also has underrated speed that lets him separate from the defender and make a play.
Read more: Cowboys got the Joey Porter Jr. trade done (but there's no stress from Eagles)
Smith could miss more than one game, so Wicks might end up being the guy. It's not ideal for Eagles fans, but Wicks can step up and own that WR1 role until Smith returns.
Add us as a preferred source on Google