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Nick Sirianni knew early Eagles had something in Dontayvion Wicks
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- Nick Sirianni knew early Eagles had something in Dontayvion Wicks
Nick Sirianni knew early Eagles had something in Dontayvion Wicks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
CHICAGO — How early did Nick Sirianni know the Eagles had something in Dontayvion Wicks ?
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Before he even stepped foot in the building.
The Eagles did their homework on Wicks this offseason before they pulled off a trade to acquire him from Green Bay and extend him through the 2027 season.
"I think that happens when you're watching the tape prior to him even getting here," Sirianni said. "That's why Howie (Roseman) was aggressive to go and get him, because we saw the potential of what he could be, and then we knew about the person with the guys that were in Green Bay.
"When he started doing the things that we saw on tape, it wasn't a surprise because there was a lot of work that went into identifying that, and the words that were being said by Sean [Mannion] and Ryan [Mahaffey] were matching what we saw on tape. He's been a great addition. I love his physicality within the game of football and his mentality and competitiveness for football. Forget about how explosive he is at the top of the route, his ability to catch contested balls. I just love his mentality of how he goes about his daily work and the competitiveness that happens on the field with him."
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Through two games, it looks like the Eagles were absolutely right about Wicks. He's been great as a complementary No. 2 receiver behind new WR1 DeVonta Smith .
In Week 1, Wicks caught 2 passes on 4 targets for 73 yards and a touchdown. In Week 2, Wicks caught 5 passes on 6 targets for 74 yards.
It's the first time Wicks has had back-to-back 70+ yard games in his NFL career, which began in 2023.
And he's the first player to have 70+ receiving yards in the first two games of the season as a first-time Eagle since DeSean Jackson's rookie season in 2008. He's the first veteran to accomplish the feat since Donte' Stallworth in 2006.
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It is clear that Wicks has already forged a strong bond with Jalen Hurts and has earned the franchise quarterback's trust. Hurts has a theory on why Wicks was able to hit the ground running in Philly.
"I think Tay's thinking less because this (offense) is something that he's familiar with. That's a part of it," Hurts said. "And then, secondly, is the time we spent together to be able to learn each other. The opportunities I've had to learn his body language, to get to know the type of player he is. Everything I've see to that point has given me the utmost confidence. We just want to continue to build."
There's no doubt that the three years Wicks spent in Green Bay in a very similar scheme and the time he spent with Sean Mannion over the last two years has given him a boost. The rest of the Eagles' players have been learning how to play in this system, but Wicks has been able to just play.
As a result, he has also become a resource for his teammates.
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"It's helped me a lot," rookie Makai Lemon said. "He's been in this offense for however many years. He's not too new to it. Everything that he tells me is helping me. I can go to him with anything. Him being the person he is, the player he is has helped me a lot."
For the previous four years, the Eagles' offense ran predominantly through A.J. Brown , Smith and Dallas Goedert . But with Brown gone, there are more targets to go around. And one of the features of this offense is spreading the football around.
This is a big opportunity for Wicks and he has been making the most of it. The Eagles suspected he would.
