Zakee Wheatley

Wheatley projects as a Day 2 safety who can contribute on special teams and develop into a two-deep rotation player at the NFL level. He pairs adequate athleticism with consistent film study and instinctive gap recognition, making him a reliable over-the-top coverage option in single-high looks. Teams seeking a back-end safety with positional flexibility and special teams value will target him in Round 3, though his ceiling remains as a solid complementary piece rather than a consistent starter.

Wheatley's 4.55 40-time and 38-inch vertical raise durability and scheme-flexibility concerns—he fits zone-heavy, two-high systems but projects poorly in spread defenses requiring high-level athleticism. His competition level at Penn State inflates some tape metrics; testing data suggests a developmental timeline rather than immediate NFL-ready impact, and injury history warrants medical vetting before significant draft capital is allocated.