Tag: Bryce Ford-Wheaton

Bryce Ford-Wheaton named Giants’ most exciting UDFA

Wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton has been named the New York Giants’ most exciting undrafted rookie free agent.

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Following the 2023 NFL draft, the New York Giants signed several undrafted rookie free agents and invited a handful more to minicamp.

Among those signed was West Virginia wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton, a player with a high ceiling who fell off draft boards due to inconsistency and lacking production.

Still, Ford-Wheaton was a priority free agent and several teams rushed to sign him. Ultimately, the 23-year-old picked the Giants over the Philadelphia Eagles and others.

Recently, Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report named Ford-Wheaton one of the most exciting UDFA in football.

Signing undrafted free agent Bryce Ford-Wheaton could wind up being a move that impacts the group as well due to his blend of height, weight and speed.

The West Virginia alum came in at 6’3″, 221 pounds in the pre-draft process and ran a 4.38 40-yard dash. He didn’t have bad production at West Virginia either, racking up 675 yards and seven touchdowns in his final season with J.T. Daniels as his quarterback.

The Giants have one of the more nebulous wide receiver rooms in the league. There’s no clear-cut No. 1 wide receiver and the opportunity is there for an undrafted free agent to make a path for himself.

Ford-Wheaton’s physical tools will give him an advantage over some of the competition.

Ford-Wheaton was one of the most athletic players to come out of college last year. He earned an RAS score of 9.97, which ranked him 11th out of 3,048 wide receivers from 1987 to 2023. He has also drawn many pro comparisons to Calvin Johnson.

If Ford-Wheaton can even scratch the surface of his potential, the Giants and general manager Joe Schoen got a steal.

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Bryce Ford-Wheaton explains why he chose Giants over Eagles

Bryce Ford-Wheaton chose to sign with the New York Giants over the Philadelphia Eagles for two very specific reasons.

Shortly after the 2023 NFL draft concluded, Bryce Ford-Wheaton’s phone blew up. He received immediate calls from Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll and Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni, who were trying to convince him to join their teams.

“It was like recruiting,” Ford-Wheaton said, via The Athletic. “It was like you had to sign right then. You get 30 seconds to choose where you were going.”

Ford-Wheaton chose neither the Seahawks nor the Eagles. Instead, he chose to sign with the New York Giants largely because of the bond he built with head coach Brian Daboll during the pre-draft process. And because of his friendship with Giants wide receiver David Sills.

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“I talked to (Daboll) for a long time,” Ford-Wheaton said, adding he had a top-30 visit with the Giants. “My phone was blowing up while I was on the phone with him. I was sending everybody else to voicemail because in my head I was already like, ‘This is where I want to go.'”

The Pittsburgh Steelers had also hosted Ford-Wheaton on a top-30 visit (his only other top-30), but they didn’t come calling after the draft. Even if they had, the 23-year-old had already made up his mind. He wanted to be a Giant and that dream came to fruition.

The Giants signed Ford-Wheaton to an undrafted free agent contract worth $236,000 guaranteed. It also included a $20,000 signing bonus, which is on the high side for such contracts.

“I already felt good about the Giants, because I had already met them,” Ford-Wheaton said. “I had already learned a couple installs with them and kind of got tested. The determining factor was I had David Sills, one of my old teammates, up there. He’s done what I’m trying to do right now.”

Ford-Wheaton knows he faces an uphill battle for playing time as a rookie and perhaps he could have earned more elsewhere, but Daboll’s coaching style appealed to him. There’s an honesty and openness about Daboll that appeals to players and Ford-Wheaton is no exception.

“He’s just a real honest, up-front dude. He’s just real blunt,” the rookie said. “He’s not going to sit here and lie in your face. I was asking him what he saw my role being, and he just straight up said my role is going to be whatever I make it. I knew that he doesn’t care about where you get drafted or when. He cares more about what you’re about to do and how you’re going to produce. The best man is going to play. The proof is in the pudding.”

Ford-Wheaton is a remarkably athletic specimen but inconsistency has plagued him. It’s the reason he went undrafted as opposed to the middle rounds, and it’s why he’ll start his professional career on the bottom rung. But playing for Daboll puts him in a position to carve a new path and he will be in charge of how it plays out.

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Giants host rookie minicamp: What to watch for

The New York Giants will host their 2023 rookie minicamp on Friday and Saturday, and here are a few things to keep an eye on.

The New York Giants will host their 2023 rookie camp this weekend at the Quest Diagnostics Training Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

There’s a lot of anticipation after last week’s NFL draft. Here are a few things to watch for this weekend.

Bryce Ford-Wheaton is Giants’ most-intriguing UDFA addition

The New York Giants have added undrafted free agent WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who has Calvin Johnson-like attributes but is inconsistent.

Immediately following the conclusion of the 2023 NFL draft, teams rushed to sign the best undrafted rookie free agents available.

The New York Giants and general manager Joe Schoen were no different, signing several players and inviting several more to rookie minicamp within hours.

But one name stood out above the rest: West Virginia wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton.

Ford-Wheaton has impressive size at 6-foot-3 and 221 pounds, and his Relative Athletic Scores (RAS) were off the charts. Could the Giants have found a diamond in the rough?

The fact that Ford-Wheaton went undrafted was a bit of a head-scratcher for some, but there is a history of inconsistency there. Still, the talent and athleticism seemed to be more than enough for someone to take a chance. NFL Network draft analyst Lance Zierlein had him pegged as a fourth-round pick.

Ford-Wheaton is a big, long wideout specializing in downfield jump-ball victories. He’s a high-riser with an above-average wingspan, but he rarely slips past press coverage easily and fails to separate like he should relative to the blazing speed he showed at the NFL Scouting Combine. He’s a raw route runner with tight hips and a lack of attention to detail that allows defenders to anticipate breaks and contest his catches on a regular basis. Ford-Wheaton has the size and hand strength to post victories on 50-50 throws, but he will need to prove he can consistently play to his athletic ability.

Even as a raw player, that type of size and athleticism usually sells. But the inconsistency sent up red flags across the NFL — and one head coach told Ford-Wheaton exactly that.

“Sometimes you look like Calvin Johnson but sometimes you look like you couldn’t start on a JUCO team in Iowa,” Ford-Wheaton recalled being told, via Mike Asti.

The Giants have invested quite a bit into their wide receiver group this offseason, including a trade up for Jalin Hyatt in Round 3 of the draft, but they don’t have many with Ford-Wheaton’s size. At his best, he’s a true ‘X’ receiver with the potential to take over as a WR1.

If head coach Brian Daboll and his staff are able to get the most out of Ford-Wheaton, they may have hit a home run. If not, it’ll end up being a story about what might have been.

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2023 NFL draft: Giants undrafted rookie free agent tracker

The rush to sign undrafted rookie free agents is underway! Here’s a live 2023 tracker for the New York Giants.

The 2023 NFL draft has officially come to a close and the frenzy to sign undrafted rookie free agents (UDFA) is underway.

For general manager Joe Schoen and the New York Giants, they’ll look to add several players prior to the start of rookie mini-camp which will take place from May 5-6 in East Rutherford.

“I think you tie in free agency and you tie in the draft and I’m excited to go upstairs and see where we are on some undrafted free agents,” general manager Joe Schoen said after the draft.

It’s important to note that UDFA signings are not announced by the NFL, so some initial reports may be incorrect, changed or, unfortunately, outright faked. Until the Giants/NFL themselves announce the signings, these should all be considered rumors and subject to change.

As signings and rookie mini-camp invites are reported, we’ll update this article. So keep refreshing.

Rumored signings:

  • Michigan CB Gemon Green (link)
  • Toledo LB Dyontae Johnson (link)
  • Ole Miss LB Troy Brown (link)
  • Illinois QB Tommy DeVito (link)
  • West Virginia WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton (link)
  • Pittsburgh DE Habakkuk Baldonado (link)
  • Charlotte LS Cam Lyons (link)
  • Washington S Alex Cook (link)

Rumored mini-camp tryouts:

  • Iowa State LB O’Rien Vance (link)
  • Baylor OL Khalil Keith (link)
  • North Dakota WR Garett Maag (link)
  • Central Michigan WR Carlos Carriere (link)
  • UCF TE Kemore Gamble (link)
  • ECU TE Ryan Jones (link)
  • Stony Brook DE Eric Black (link)
  • Wisconsin DB Justin Clark (link)
  • Texas WR Tarique Milton (link)
  • Northern Arizona S Morgan Vest (link)
  • Augustana S Eli Weber (link)
  • Holy Cross RB Peter Oliver (link)
  • N.C. State DB Cyrus Fagan (link)
  • UTSA OL Ahofitu Maka (link)
  • Temple DL Xach Gill (link)
  • Memphis CB Sylvonta Oliver (link)
  • Hawaii TE Caleb Phillips (link)
  • Maryland DL Ami Finau (link)
  • Riverside City College OL Cobe Bryant (link)
  • Northern Illinois DE Izayah Green (link)
  • Air Force QB Haaziq Daniels (link)
  • Clemson QB Hunter Johnson (link)
  • Union College RB Ike Irabor (link)
  • Canadian DL Lwal Uguak (link)
  • Colorado LB Quinn Perry (link)

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NFL draft: Best remaining players on Day 3 from Forness’ big board

Going into day three, there is still really good talent to be had.

The Minnesota Vikings had only one selection on day two of the NFL draft. They traded back with the San Francisco 49ers and ultimately selected USC cornerback Mekhi Blackmon.

As the team heads into day three of the NFL draft, they have five selections and many promising players still available on the board.

Managing editor Tyler Forness put together a big board prior to the NFL draft beginning and there are still multiple players in his top 20 left on the board. Here are the top 10 players available on Forness’ big board.

 

Vikings 2023 7 round mock draft: Predicting the Vikings draft class

In the final seven-round mock draft of the cycle, we try to predict what the Minnesota Vikings draft class will be.

The Minnesota Vikings have a lot of different ways they can go in the NFL draft. There will be some discussion on what needs are most important but the Vikings can address most of them through both free agency and the NFL draft.

I have now done 11 mock drafts for the Vikings this offseason and they all have taken a slightly different turn each time. This is the final one and I try to be predictive in doing so.

Mock draft 1.0
Mock draft 2.0
Mock draft 3.0
Mock draft 4.0
Mock draft 5.0
Mock draft 6.0
Mock draft 7.0
Mock draft 8.0
Mock draft 9.0
Mock draft 10.0
Mock draft 11.0

Browns: One WR target in each round of the 2023 NFL draft

Which wide receiver should the Browns target in each round?

Only a couple of days remain before the 2023 NFL draft kicks off with the first round starting on Thursday night. The Cleveland Browns have fixed a majority of the big roster holes during free agency giving them the freedom to draft talent and not force a position. Though improved the wide receiver room could use some more talent for the long-term depth of the position.

This year’s class isn’t loaded like the past couple of years but there are still plenty of players that can be contributors. Let’s take a look at the different options the Browns could look at by round in this week’s draft.

10 receivers for Patriots to target in 2023 NFL draft

Any of these 10 receiver prospects could help the Patriots.

Improving at the wide receiver position could mean the difference between a successful and failed season for the New England Patriots. They ultimately control their fate regarding that outcome with the No. 14 overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft.

And there’s a good chance it won’t just stop there.

Regardless of whether the Patriots use their first-round pick on a receiver or not, they might end up double dipping at the position in hopes of landing on a player that can make an immediate impact on the roster.

There’s no question the team needs a legit No. 1 receiving option that can consistently separate and make plays on the outside. They could get it with speed, size or a combination of both in this year’s draft.

Here are 10 receivers for the Patriots to target.

Patriots’ full 7-round 2023 mock draft 7.0

Multiple trades and even a surprise first-round pick highlights this seven-round mock draft for the Patriots.

The 2023 NFL draft is two weeks away, and it’s hard to contain the excitement, fear, anxiety or any other feelings that come up when trying to manifest a good draft for such an unpredictable team like the New England Patriots.

New England still holds the No. 14 overall pick, but in this “what they would do” mock draft, that changes with a big first-round trade. Who knows? Maybe the same is the case when the time actually comes for the Patriots to turn in their first player card on April 27.

Let’s get into this full 7-round mock draft.