The Green Bay Packers may have won the Dontayvion Wicks trade in a vacuum, netting a pair of Day 3 picks from the Philadelphia Eagles for an expected free-agent casualty next winter, but they also lost valuable depth in the short term. For all that he wasn't, Dontayvion Wicks was, at worst, a fourth receiver who could step into a bigger role if needed. That security is gone.
Moreover, the Packers' looming receiver shortage has only grown more glaring. No Wicks, no Romeo Doubs. Both are signed through 2027 with their new teams. Jayden Reed and Christian Watson need extensions of their own. Green Bay could enter next offseason with Matthew Golden and a row of empty lockers in the receiver room.
Drafting Wicks' replacement has gone from an opportunistic luxury to a mandatory investment. That doesn't mean the Packers need to burn the 52nd overall pick on a receiver. Cornerback and nose tackle remain the roster's most pressing needs.
But late in the fourth round, Mississippi's De'Zhaun Stribling profiles as a player who could make up for Wicks' absence while providing a bit more upside than the former 159th pick promised the Packers out of Virginia. For depth this season and future roster health, Stribling is one receiver prospect that should have Brian Gutekunst's attention.
De'Zhaun Stribling would suit Packers' needs in wake of Dontayvion Wicks departure
The ex-Rebels wideout doesn't have Wicks' boom-or-bust potential, but he offers similar size and superior speed. Listed 6-2 and 207 pounds, he posted a 4.36 40-time at the NFL Combine. As a senior at Ole Miss, he came down with 55 catches for 811 yards and six touchdowns.
Stribling has his flaws. Scouts would tell you he needs to create more separation and improve his contested catch rate. As a fourth-round pick, however, he could give the Packers just what they need while allowing them to address other positions earlier. He tends to fall right around where Green Bay sits with the 120th overall pick.
"Stribling projects as an immediate WR4 who could eventually work his way into a starting role," concludes draft analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL.com. That's the kind of solid-floor, solid-ceiling prospect the Packers could use next season.
He also helps out as a run blocker, and his ability after the catch could compensate for Reed's departure next winter if the Packers let Reed walk. Stribling's vertical speed offers big-play upside that Wicks failed to pay off after his rookie season.
That doesn't mean he would come in and outdo Wicks' Year 1 production. Most fifth-rounders don't rack up nearly 600 receiving yards as rookies, as Wicks did. The Packers may rely on Savion Williams, instead, to be Jordan Love's fourth option.
Securing depth, however, remains a pertinent concern. Watson, Reed, Golden, and tight end Tucker Kraft all dealt with injuries last season. Golden is the only one without a severe injury in his recent past. Kraft could miss time out of the gate. Relying on everyone to stay healthy is a precarious tightrope to walk, and based on his rookie contributions, upgrading Williams to WR3 would be a reach.
And while the Packers should extend some combination of their pending free agents, expecting to retain all three isn't realistic. They need to plant seeds for the future, and Stribling could be theirs.