Kevin Wigenton II, Illinois: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Wigenton was a three-star recruit from The Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, N.J. in the class of 2021
Kevin Wigenton II transferred from Michigan State to Illinois this offseason. He has an NFL-sized frame with long arms, but his footwork, framing, and hand counters are still raw. Wigenton projects as a late Day 3 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft or a candidate to return to school for his redshirt senior season.
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Kevin Wigenton II, G Illinois: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Redshirt junior right guard from Colts Neck, N.J.
Background: Wigenton was a three-star recruit from The Hun School of Princeton in Princeton, N.J. in the class of 2021. He was the No. 1,404 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,347 for On3.com. Wigenton was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 73 grade out of 100. He transferred from Colts Neck High School to The Hun School of Princeton for his junior season. Wigenton transferred from Michigan State to Illinois for the 2024 season.
Injuries & Off-Field: N/A
Awards: N/A
Pros: Excellent size and build, NFL-caliber frame, room to add mass to lower half, appears to have long arms that would meet OT thresholds, weaponizes arm length in pass pro to stunt pass rush attempts, rides defenders up and past the pocket, engulfs and flattens smaller defenders, wants to finish defenders in the run game, mean streak shows up when he pushes guys to the ground, captures and turns the defender’s shoulder in the run game, sturdy seals vs. 3-techs on A and B-gap runs, size and strength show up on down blocks, got more use out of his leg drive to displace defenders vs. Minnesota (2023) than other games, overpowering vs. second level defenders on gap runs
Cons: Only one season with more than 100 offensive snaps, awkward and uneven lateral gallop, plays with chest over knees in pass pro, pad level rises quickly, feet are heavy and slow, poor lateral agility, feet don’t keep up with upper half, late to notice and redirect for stunts, hand placement is late, block framing is all over the place, allows defenders into his frame, limited hand counters, no counter once the defender gets into his body, anchor isn’t trustworthy, struggles to re-anchor vs. speed to power because of pad level, put on skates too easily, still had no answers for speed to power vs. Penn State (2023) late in the year, resorts to bearhugging, overpowered by Maryland defensive linemen, knocked off balance too easily, vulnerable to swim moves, fails to generate significant displacement in the run game, allows defenders to separate from his blocks in the run game too easily, falls off second level blocks
Overview: Wigenton possesses excellent size. He still needs to add some mass to his lower half, but his frame is already NFL-caliber. Wigenton appears to have long arms that surpass guard thresholds and might even meet tackle thresholds. He uses that length to his advantage on his best pass sets by delivering punches early in the play to stall rush attempts. Wigenton drives defenders up and past the pocket when they split him and the offensive tackle. He has the power to engulf smaller defenders in the run or pass game. The New Jersey native flashes a nasty demeanor. He frequently (and legally) takes defenders to the ground in pass protection and looks to finish defenders in the run game. Wigenton goes for kill shots when he sees a defender starting to lose his balance. In the run game, he’s better at turning and sealing a defensive lineman than displacing them vertically. The Michigan State transfer provides sturdy seals against 3-techs on A and B-gap runs but fails to generate significant displacement in the run game. Defenders separate from his run blocks too often and too easily. This happens because Wigenton’s clamp and framing are inconsistent. The large offensive lineman represents an overpowering force against second level defenders, but his questionable agility and balance lead to him falling off blocks against smaller opponents in open space. Wigenton’s size and strength show up on down blocks, and there were games in 2023 when his leg drive popped more frequently. Unfortunately, none of those games were against premier opponents. With just one season of 100 or more offensive snaps, Wigenton is still very new to college football. His hand placement is unrefined and allows defenders into his body. The former three-star recruit gets his hands up late and does a poor job framing blocks. He doesn’t flash many hand counters mid-play to disrupt the pass rush and is at a total loss once the defender gets into his frame. Despite his large frame, Wigenton’s anchor fails against speed to power because of his high pad level and hand usage. Defenders get him on skates too easily, and he showed no improvement in this area across the course of the 2023 season. Wigenton often resorts to bearhugging defenders instead of maximizing his arm length. He plays with a high pad level and his chest over his knees in pass protection, which messes with his balance. The guard is an awkward lateral mover with poor agility and heavy feet that fail to keep up with his upper half. He is often late to recognize and address stunts.
Overall, Wigenton has an NFL-caliber frame and a mauling mentality, but he is too inexperienced and underdeveloped to contend for a high ranking selection without taking a massive leap in 2024. Wigenton is a candidate to return to school in 2025 as he solidifies the fundamental elements of his game.
Role & Scheme Fit: Developmental right guard in a gap or inside zone scheme
Round Projection: Sixth Round
Size: 6'5", 320 lbs. (Unofficial)
Submitted: 03-30-24