Rookie Spotlight: Devontez Walker, North Carolina

Height: 6-1 1/2″
Weight: 197
Hands: 9″
Arm: 32 3/4″
2024 Age: 23 – (6/19/01)
40-yard dash:

NFL Play-Style Comparison: Jeremy Maclin x George Pickens
Draft Grade: Late 2nd-Round
Breakout Age: 21 (Redshirt Sophomore)

 

Offensive Market Share Metrics (Final Season)

Receptions: 14.9%
Receiving Yards: 18.9%
Receiving TDs: 28%

High School: West Charlotte (Charlotte, North Carolina)
As a high school prospect: Class of 2020; 3-star
College Attended: North Carolina Central, Kent State & North Carolina

 

Pros
– Very light and quick on his toes

– Above average ability to adjust at the catch point, shallow, deep, or contested

– willing blocker downfield with hustle to boot – not so much near the LOS

– Elite ability to move with the quarterback in scramble situations

– strong hands with late hands and good ball skills

– speed and bend to accelerate on jet motion and create openings

– silky smooth ball tracking on downfield routes

 

Cons

– slender lower quarter

– Lines up predominantly on the right side of the formation (89% of routes)

– Does not sell routes / blocking well, while on the backside of plays

– unable to make the first defender miss

– rather lackadaisical intermediate route tree, with limited movement

– lacks attention to detail in the short area

Scouting Notes:
Devontez ‘Tez’ Walker was the head of a lot of conversations in the fall of 2023, as his Transfer Waiver was denied by the NCAA, causing him to miss the Tar Heels first 4 games. Reports came out during that time that he had his nose deep in the playbook while he wasn’t able to play, and was asking to play on the scout team while ineligible. Upon returning, Walker never missed a step, he debuted for North Carolina against Syracuse where he caught 6 passes for 43 yards, over the next 2 weeks Walker caught 17 passes for 278 yards and 4 touchdowns, he was prepared to make a statement. Before transferring to North Carolina, the Charlotte native attended North Carolina Central as a freshman, where he registered no stats before transferring up a division to Kent State. At Kent State, Walker put 17 lbs of mass on his frame between his RS Freshman Season and RS Sophomore Season, allowing Walker to burst onto the scene early with performances against elite competition. Walker registered 4 receptions 56 yards and a touchdown on opening weekend against Washington, just 3 weeks later in Athens he crested 100 yards and scored against the reigning National Champion Georgia Bulldogs. He brings an explosive play style downfield but is limited in the short area and is always tackled by the first defender. Walker will fit into any offense as a pure stretch receiver with the raw talent to become a real number 1 within two years. Showing small flashes of Justin Jefferson-type body control and play-making ability, the allure of Walker will be viewed in a broad range this spring.

Fantasy Outlook:
Downfield domination will take you so far in the NFL, and for fantasy football, it can be exhilarating, but until we see Walker progress his short and intermediate route running, lower quarter bend, and show requisite effort play in and play out, I am going to stay in the pocket for fantasy football. Walker has the potential to rise into the Top 50 of the NFL Draft with a strong Senior Bowl and flashing a sub-4.4 in Indianapolis. His raw talent and play-making ability, coupled with contested catch ability and ball tracking put him ahead of players of the past such as Jalin Hyatt, Tyquan Thornton, and Danny Gray, but in the same conversation as Marvin Mims.

Cody Carpentier