Devonte Wyatt Scouting Report: 2022 NFL Draft Prospect Profile

 

Defensive Tackle, Georgia Bulldogs #95

 

Devonte Wyatt Measurements

6’3” / 304 lbs
40 time: 4.77 (official)

 

Devonte Wyatt NFL Draft Player Profile

 

Coming from his hometown of Decatur, Georgia, Devonte played his high school football at Towers High School. After his senior season, Wyatt was named to the 2016 All-State Class 3A team by both the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Georgia Sportswriters Association. He was rated as a four-star prospect by 247Sports. They had Devonte rated as the #17 defensive tackle nationally and the #27 ranked prospect in Georgia. Wyatt signed with Georgia out of high school, but was unable enroll as he didn’t qualify academically.

So instead of going straight to Georgia, Devonte first attended Hutchinson Community College in Hutchinson, Kansas. He had a solid season with 30 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and a blocked PAT in 11 games. This helped his prospect status, as both ESPN and Rivals joined 247Sports in giving him a four-star rating. In fact, all three outlets had Wyatt ranked as a top 10 Junior College prospect nationally. After a single season at Hutchinson CC, Devonte was able to meet the academic requirements and enrolled at Georgia.

 

Georgia Bulldogs

 

During his first two seasons with Georgia, Devonte would be a regular contributor on the Bulldogs defense. Wyatt played in 25 of the school’s 28 games, earning his first start in the 2020 Sugar Bowl against Baylor. He would become a regular starter in 2020, starting all 24 games that he played over his final two seasons. Wyatt averaged 28.25 tackles during his four seasons with the Bulldogs. He would also lead all interior defensive lineman in tackles his final three seasons.

After his senior season, he would be named to the All-SEC first team by the SEC coaches. Devonte was also nominated as All-SEC second team from the Associated Press, and an All-American second-team selection from the AP and CBSSports. Wyatt would also be selected to participate in the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl.

 

Devonte Wyatt Strengths

 

Mobility

One of the first things that popped off to me during film study was how well Devonte moved. He backed that up running a 4.77 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. That was the fastest time amongst defensive tackles, just edging out teammate Jordan Davis. Wyatt shows his mobility with his great job of getting around on stunts and pulls. This was his biggest strength as far as beating the opposing offensive lineman.

 

Awareness

While Devonte’s mobility jumped off the screen, my favorite trait was his awareness. Wyatt does a great job of tracking the ball carrier while engaged with blockers. He looks to be able to read the play quickly and does a good job of getting himself into a good position to help make a play. Even still, the best example was him getting his hands on passes. I don’t have official numbers, but it felt like at least once or twice a game Devonte was able to swat down a pass at the line of scrimmage.

 

Holds up vs Run

I was impressed with Wyatt’s ability to hold up at the line of scrimmage. Most of time, just one offensive lineman wasn’t enough to be able to move Devonte off his point. Even when the offense would call a wide zone read, Wyatt showed the ability to stay on the line of scrimmage while moving towards the ball carrier. Typically to move Wyatt it required two offensive linemen, which was hard for most teams to afford given Jordan Davis was also on the field.

 

Devonte Wyatt Weaknesses

 

1v1

I mentioned earlier that Wyatt’s strength in beating the opposing offensive lineman was getting on the move. When he matched up in a face-to-face 1v1, it was another story. Very rarely did he manage to win in these scenarios. That isn’t to say that he lost either, rather just a stalemate. Having a teammate like Jordan Davis, who would draw more of the attention, you would like to hope that Devonte would have been able to make more of an impact with his 1v1 scenarios, without having to be schemed into winning a matchup.

 

Not a Difference Maker vs Pass

 

As well as Wyatt holds up against the run, he doesn’t make as much of an impact in the passing game. Considering how well he moves, I thought I would see him making more impactful plays. Devonte only managed five sacks during his four seasons with the Bulldogs. It was also apparent by the fact that he was taken off the field during most obvious passing situations. Typically, the only time Devonte was on the field was on 3^rd and longs when the Bulldogs would only use two defensive linemen.

 

Devonte Wyatt Draft Stock

Wyatt was considered a solid prospect coming into the season, and only helped himself out with a strong performance. He found himself shooting up draft boards after the Senior Bowl. While he didn’t take part in the game due to an injury, he was said to have dominated during the practices. Because of this, many have recently stated that he could potentially sneak into the first round. Regardless of getting into the first round, he’s solidified himself as a day two pick at the worst in most people’s eyes.

 

Final Thoughts on Devonte Wyatt NFL Draft Scouting Report

With Devonte, there are a number of traits that make me believe that he could be a major contributor to any team that drafts him in a season or two. However, I’m not getting as wrapped up in his Senior Bowl practices or combine numbers. Yes, these performances can help you validate some of the things that you see on tape. But I feel like people get a little to wrapped up in them, especially the combine. All Wyatt’s combine numbers did, while impressive, was validate that he was a good athlete.

I personally put more stock on what I see on tape. And what Devonte’s tape shows me is someone that has good traits to be a solid piece of a defensive unit. However, I don’t see enough to buy into the hype of him potentially being a first-round pick. I personally have a mid-to-late second round to third round grade on him.

NFL Comparison: Maliek Collins

Devonte Wyatt NFL Draft Scouting Report Analyst-Brandon Claburn