VDT: Could Wake Forest WR A.T. Perry Be the Adam Thielen Replacement for the Vikings?
Josh Frey
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The Minnesota Vikings released longtime starting WR Adam Thielen earlier this offseason, and now, they are searching for a replacement option for the veteran’s production. That replacement seems likely to come in the draft, but the question is when exactly will Minnesota draft a wide receiver?
Perhaps an under-the-radar candidate could be Wake Forest WR A.T. Perry, and he is the focus of today’s edition of Vikings Draft Thermometer series, PurplePTSD‘s one-stop shop for all your 2023 NFL Draft needs. Throughout this series, we have examined a number of prospects ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft, analyzing their strengths, weaknesses, what exactly their role could be at the NFL level, and most importantly, whether or not they could end up playing their first NFL snaps in a Vikings uniform.
Background
- Height: 6’3 1/2″
- Weight: 198 pounds
- Arm Length: 33 1/4″
- Hand Size: 9 1/4″
- 40-yard dash: 4.47 seconds
- 10-yard split: 1.59 seconds
- Vertical Jump: 35″
- Broad Jump: 11’1″
- School: Wake Forest
- Games Watched: Clemson (2022), NC State (2022), Syracuse (2022), Missouri (2022)
Statistics
- 2019: 4 receptions, 62 yards, 1 TD (3 games)
- 2020: 15 receptions, 211 yards, 1 TD (6 games)
- 2021: 71 receptions, 1293 yards, 15 TDs (14 games)
- 2022: 81 receptions, 1096 yards, 11 TDs (13 games)
Strengths
The best traits of A.T. Perry can be found in the intricacies of his route running. He can beat press coverage with a variety of moves at the line of scrimmage as well as an explosive first step into his route. He also showcases an ability to change speeds on a dime, making it difficult to keep up with him, particularly on comebacks and curls.
Then, once Perry has the ball in his hands he showcases a knack for evading tacklers and using his speed to gain ground after the catch. We can’t ignore his size, either. At 6’3, he’s going to have a length advantage on most corners he is matched up against.
Weaknesses
Perry checks the boxes in terms of skillset, but the biggest problem right now is just consistency. He has struggled with drops throughout his two years as a starter in Wake Forest, and he still needs to learn to utilize his size and length advantage in contested pass situations and as a run blocker.
Additionally, while he is explosive off the line of scrimmage, he doesn’t quite have the second and third gears to accelerate and become a true vertical threat. Particularly for the Vikings, this could take away some of the allure of him as a prospect.
NFL Projection
- Draft Round: Late Second-Early Fourth
- Immediate Role: WR 2/3
- Best-Case Scenario: Adam Thielen
- Vikings Draft Temperature: 60
If you take a look at many of Perry’s measurables and compare them to Adam Thielen’s, they look like nearly identical players. Then, some of the savviness with their route-running showcases some very similar trends as well. If Perry can reel in some of these drops he’s had throughout college, there is little reason to believe that he cannot succeed at the NFL level.
Josh Frey is a Class of 2020 graduate of The College of Idaho with a bachelor’s degree in Creative Writing. When he’s not writing about the NFL, Josh enjoys running, gaming, or rooting for the Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks. Check out his Twitter account: @Freyed_Chicken.