Rule No. 1 of training camp? Don't overreact. Rule No. 2? Ignore the first rule.
A breakout season is coming for a Green Bay Packers wide receiver.
Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden understandably receive the most attention. Christian Watson is a game-changer when healthy, while Romeo Doubs is one of Jordan Love's most reliable targets. But don't forget about Dontayvion Wicks, who is showing signs that the Davante Adams career arc narrative may come true, after all.
Step 1: Promising rookie season. Step 2: Disappointing follow-up in a second year filled with drops.
Sound familiar? Adams and Wicks both went through those ups and downs. Adams broke out in Year 3 and never looked back.
Now, it's Wicks' turn.
It's only training camp, but Wicks' arrow is pointing directly upward. He is already reminding everyone why many refer to him as Davantayvion Wicks.
Packers receiver Dontayvion Wicks is showing early signs of a breakout season at training camp
It's a fantasy football nightmare, but a potential dream scenario for Packers fans. Golden, Reed, and Tucker Kraft could all elevate their games to new levels this season, but Wicks still has star potential. And we're beginning to see it.
"Wicks looks fantastic. Getting open per usual - catching everything his way," Andy Herman of Packer Report wrote from Friday's practice.
That final line is the key. Wicks has caught almost everything thrown in his direction at training camp. It's all that had previously stopped him from becoming a star in Matt LaFleur's offense.
Getting open has never been a problem. Pro Football Focus had Wicks ranked second in separation percentage last season. He consistently beat his defender but lacked consistency when the ball came his way, dropping nine passes.
Adams faced similar concerns in his second year but put them behind him in a breakout third season. Wicks can do the same.
The former fifth-round pick is confident the drops are a thing of the past.
"I know I can catch the ball. Everybody else does too. You just can't get caught up in the outside noise," said Wicks, via Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
Wicks said that he lost confidence after dropping three passes in the Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.
"First game, it didn't go too well. And I was thinking a lot on that," he said. "The field was crazy. I had a few drops in the first game, and it just led onto that. But I'm back. I'm stronger mentally. I'm good. I feel like I'm in a good place right now."
Consider that a warning to the rest of the league.
Wicks has all the potential in the world. We've been driving the hype train all offseason long. The only thing preventing him from taking that next step to stardom was his issue with drops. It's still far too early to say it's definitively behind him, as Wicks must prove it when the real games start.
But drops were never an issue before last season, just like they weren't for Adams before his disappointing 2015 campaign.
Wicks has drawn comparisons to the Packers' former All-Pro on several occasions. He uses elite footwork to gain separation with his release, and his smooth route-running helps him get open effortlessly.
If Wicks can continue to follow the Adams career arc in Year 3, look out. The Packers will finally have a wide receiver enjoy a breakout season, but nobody will see it coming.