Devontez Walker, WR North Carolina: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Walker was a three-star recruit from West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, N.C. in the class of 2019

News recently revealed that the NCAA might not allow North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker to play in 2023. The decision is a horrible mistake by the NCAA that bars an incredible football player from the opportunity of a lifetime. Walker has the skill set to compete for a top 100 selection in the 2024 NFL Draft.

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Devontez Walker, WR North Carolina: 2024 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt junior wide receiver from Charlotte, N.C.

Background: Walker was a three-star recruit from West Charlotte High School in Charlotte, N.C. in the class of 2019. He was an unranked three-star recruit according to 247Sports and was the No. 1,774 for On3.com. Walker was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked recruit for ESPN with no star rating or grade out of 100. He was an All-Conference performer in high school, topping 1,000 receiving yards for West Charlotte. Walker originally committed to North Carolina Central but didn’t play a game for the school because of the COVID-19-canceled season in 2020. He earned All-MAC honors with Kent State in 2022 before transferring to North Carolina.

Injuries & Off-Field: Suffered a torn ACL as a high school senior, snaps limited by injury vs. Ball State (2022)

Awards: 2022 First Team All-MAC, 2022 Football Academic All-MAC Team

Pros: Gained minor experience in the slot in 2022, long arms, height and reach advantage against many corners, two-handed swipe to combat press, sells outside on release before breaking inside across the DBs face, covers ground quickly off the line, built up speed threatens defenders in off coverage, stacks corners and separates vertically, defenders playing near the LOS who fail to press him will be stacked, stacked Kamari Lassiter and beat safety Malaki Starks’ angle vs. Georgia (2022), sells the vertical well on comeback routes, works back to the football, comfortable working through contact to the ball, hauls in poorly thrown passes outside his frame, acceleration to erase angles on YAC opportunities, competes for YAC but is limited by play strength

Cons: Minimal to no special teams experience, seven drops in 2022, concentration drops, body catches, fights the ball at times, lean frame, speed is above average but not elite, more of a linear than dynamic athlete, contact early in the route disrupts him, gets stuck on press coverage, release package isn’t diverse or creative, play strength and mid-play physicality, too many steps to decelerate and turn on comeback routes, defenders crowd him on comeback routes, routes are rounded, route running should be sharper and more defined, isn’t elusive with the ball in his hands, worried he’ll get the one-trick pony label, effort as a blocker is inconsistent, appears hesitant to block at times

Overview: Walker sports long arms and the height and reach to outplay defenders at the catch point. He gained minor experience in the slot in 2022 but primarily aligns out wide. Walker is lean, so contact early in the play disrupts his route. He gets stuck on press coverage and doesn’t have a fully developed release package. However, the Kent State transfer is working on building counters for physical defensive backs. He uses a two-handed swipe to combat press coverage. Walker should still aim to improve his play strength and mid-play physicality. He covers ground quickly off the line and has the built up speed to blow past defenders in off coverage. The former three-star recruit frequently stacks corners and separates vertically because of his elite linear acceleration. His speed is more built up than instantaneous. Walker is a threat to stack any defender near the line of scrimmage who fails to press him. He stacked Georgia’s Kamari Lassiter in 2022 and beat safety Malaki Starks’ angle, but the quarterback’s pass was off target. Walker sells outside on his release before breaking inside across the defensive back’s face. This generates massive downfield plays if he isn’t jammed. He sells the vertical threat well on comeback routes and works back to the football. However, he takes too many steps to decelerate and turn on comeback routes, which allows defenders to crowd his space. Many of Walker’s routes appear more rounded than sharp and well-defined. He is comfortable working through contact to the ball and hauls in poorly thrown passes outside his frame. Unfortunately, he suffers from concentration drops and body catches. Walker also appears to fight the football at times. His acceleration erases angles and generates opportunities for yards after the catch (YAC). The All-MAC receiver competes for YAC, but his limited play strength causes problems. Walker is more of a linear athlete than a dynamic athlete, so he isn’t elusive with the ball in his hands. Some teams might peg him as a one-trick pony with his acceleration and top speed on vertical routes. Kent State schemed him some touches on screens because of his speed, but it’s unlikely he'll see those looks in the NFL. Walker’s effort as a blocker is inconsistent and must improve. He has minimal special teams experience.

Overall, Walker’s acceleration and top speed make him one of the best vertical threats in the 2024 class, but he needs to diversify what he does well to be a primary or secondary receiving threat at the next level. Walker should focus on improving his release package and route running.

Role & Scheme Fit: X or Z receiver in an 11 personnel heavy scheme

Round Projection: Mid to Late Fourth

Size: 6'2.5", 195 lbs. (Unofficial)

Submitted: 08-01-23