When the Philadelphia Eagles made the trade for Dontayvion Wicks, it was likely seen as more of a depth/WR3 option, but two games into the year, it's clear Wicks is going to have a serious role in this offense.
Despite this being the first year playing with Jalen Hurts, the connection and rapport that the two have built are evident. Wicks has become an unsung hero in this offense, displaying that he'll be a serious option this season.
Dontayvion Wicks is emerging as a true weapon for the Eagles
In the win over the Titans, Wicks finished with five catches for 74 receiving yards on six targets. All of those marks were second on the team behind DeVonta Smith. In the win, Dallas Goedert (knee) and Saquon Barkley (stinger) both dealt with injuries and left the game.
In the grand scheme of things, that wasn't ideal, but that opened the door for Wicks to step up, and he did exactly that, especially on money downs (third & fourth).
Devin Jackson of the Philadelphia Inquirer revealed that Wicks was targeted five times on those downs, catching all five targets, resulting in five first downs, per NextGen Stats. Jackson added that Philadelphia had a +11.8 EPA on those receptions, which is the fifth-most of any receiver in the last two years.
Yes, this is just his second game with the Eagles, but there's no denying he'll be a valued weapon in this offense, especially since Makai Lemon appears to need more time to settle in after missing training camp.
While they still have high expectations for the rookie, Wicks has proven he can be an asset for this team. For the second straight week, Wicks has finished with 70-plus receiving yards. As time goes on, his connection with Hurts will only continue to grow.
For Hurts to count on Wicks on some of the most crucial downs shows something. Going into games, defenses will hone in on stopping Smith, Barkley, and Goedert. That opens the door for Wicks to feed off on CB2/CB3's, and thus far, he has answered the call. Hurts owns a 145.8 passer rating targeting Wicks in 2026, per Jeff Kerr of Eagles on SI.
It's early, so of course, you don't want to get ahead of yourself, yet it's hard not to be excited about what Wicks has brought to the table. For a team that had question marks in the WR room behind Smith, Wicks has answered the call.
Read more: Jalen Hurts' resilience is exactly what Eagles needed to see in uneven Week 2 win
He seems poised to be a true difference-maker in this offense, and his outing against the Titans continues to build that case.
Add us as a preferred source on Google