The New York Giants revamped their receiving corps this offseason, adding speedsters like Parris Campbell, rookie Jalin Hyatt, and TE Darren Waller to the mix. Of the lowkey additions Big Blue made to the back end of their roster, however, one player stands out. Bryce Ford-Wheaton, an undrafted free agent out of West Virginia, is an exciting rookie to keep an eye on at training camp this summer.
Giants’ WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton listed UDFA to watch
Ford-Wheaton was “one of the more notable players to not hear their name called on NFL draft weekend,” writes Austin Scott of Pro Football Focus. “Ford-Wheaton instantly pops on his 2022 film due to his explosiveness and body control downfield.”
The Giants rookie turns heads for his rare blend of size and speed. At 6-foot-4, 221-pound, Ford-Wheaton runs a ridiculous 4.38s 40-yard dash time. He posted a 9.97 relative athletic score (RAS) at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine.
Ford-Wheaton’s defining trait is his ability to haul in contested catches. Per PFF, Ford-Wheaton turned more than 50% of his contested targets into catches at West Virginia. During his 2022 senior campaign for the Mountaineers, Ford-Wheaton totaled 62 receptions for 675 yards and seven touchdowns.
The West Virginia product “brings suddenness at the top of his routes to create additional separation,” writes Scott. Despite his lanky frame, Ford-Wheaton is not held back by any stiffness. Instead, he is a fluid runner that can make plays at all three levels of the defense.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com gave Ford-Wheaton a fourth-round draft projection, furthering the case for the rookie to be an absolute steal as an undrafted free agent. Zierlein described him as “a big, long wideout specializing in downfield jump-ball victories.”
New York is clearly confident in Ford-Wheaton, evidenced by his lucrative contract. According to Dan Duggan of The Athletic, the Giants gave Ford-Wheaton $236K guaranteed, the value of a full season salary on the practice squad ($216K) plus a $20K signing bonus. The 6-foot-4 rookie is “clearly someone they want to develop,” Duggan wrote.
The Giants have created a bit of a crowded wide receiver room this offseason. However, Ford-Wheaton has a chance to sneak his way onto the field this season as one of the few wideouts on the roster who possess such physicality on the outside.