Zakee Wheatley S Penn State |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #6 ROLE: Man-Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 03/06/2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2026 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.62 seconds (30%*) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Age: 24.5 DOB: 02/28/2002 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #6 | |
| ROLE: Man-Zone Slot/Nickel Safety | |
| Last Updated: 03/06/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2026 | |
| Forty time: 4.62 seconds (30%*) | |
| Age: 24.5 DOB: 02/28/2002 | |
| Bowl Invite: Senior Bowl | |
| Overall Rating: | 84.7 / 100 | |
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| Average rating of opposition Offense player has faced | ||
| Offense Rating: |
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77% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| QB Rating When targeted: | 72.3 | |
| Tackling: |
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78% |
| Run Defense: |
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92% |
| Coverage: |
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87% |
| Zone: |
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88% |
| Man/Press: |
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80% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
3rd
Overall Rank:
#84
Position rank:
#19 (DB)
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| College Games: 56 College Snaps: 2148 | ||
ESPN RATING: 81/100
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247 RATING: 88/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Antonio Johnson - Texas A&M |
|
76% |
| Lewis Cine - Georgia |
|
74% |
| Jevon Holland - Oregon |
|
74% |
Drafted: ROUND: 5 - Pick Number: 151 (CAR)
Draft Profile: Bio
Zakee Wheatley came out of Archbishop Spalding High School in Severn, Maryland as a consensus four-star recruit who played both sides of the ball, catching 56 passes for 810 yards and seven touchdowns while picking off five passes as a junior. Penn State won the recruiting battle, and Wheatley redshirted in 2021 before seeing early rotational work in 2022, originally at cornerback, collecting two interceptions across 12 appearances before moving to safety.His career turned in 2024 when starter Kevin Winston Jr. went down with an injury. Wheatley stepped into the lineup for all 16 games and posted 96 tackles, three interceptions, and a forced fumble, earning All-Big Ten honorable mention. His playoff run was the highlight, capped by 16 tackles, a sack, and an interception against Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl.
Rather than declare for the 2025 draft, Wheatley returned as the lone safety with starting experience after both Winston and Jaylen Reed left for the NFL. He started 12 games, finishing with 74 tackles, an interception, and two pass breakups while logging the second-most defensive snaps on the roster. He earned All-Big Ten honorable mention again, opted out of the Pinstripe Bowl to begin draft prep, and was invited to the Senior Bowl.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Elite long speed that allows him to recover and erase mistakes from deep alignments.
- Improved steadily in coverage each year, posting strong marks as a senior.
- Run defense is a clear calling card, triggering downhill with good timing and intent.
- Ball production is real, with nine career takeaways including five interceptions.
- Alignment versatility across both safety spots, the box, and occasional slot reps.
- Good length at 6-3 that extends his tackle radius and disrupts catch points.
- Showed he can perform under pressure during Penn State's playoff run in 2024.
- Missed tackle rate dropped noticeably from his junior to senior season.
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Weight is light for his frame, which limits his ability to stack and shed blocks.
- Tackling technique remains inconsistent, too often defaulting to arm tackles and ankle grabs.
- Play-action still freezes him, leaving him vulnerable to deep shots over the top.
- Pursuit angles get loose when he overflows, opening cutback lanes behind him.
- Physical press skills from the slot need work against bigger pass catchers.
- Pad level in run support runs hot and cold, affecting his ability to hold ground.
Scouting Report: Summary
Wheatley's best fit at the next level is as a free safety in a defense that values range and coverage ability over box physicality. His speed and length give him the tools to patrol the back end from a single-high alignment, and his year-over-year improvement in coverage suggests he is still climbing. The run defense grades are genuinely impressive, but his lighter frame and inconsistent pad level mean he is better suited triggering downhill from depth than playing as an in-the-box safety on early downs.Where things get interesting is his versatility. He has the athletic profile to handle slot receivers and tight ends in sub-packages, and his experience lining up across multiple spots gives a defensive coordinator options without requiring a substitution. That said, he will need to add functional strength to hold up against the physicality of NFL tight ends in contested catch situations. The coverage traits are there, but the finishing power is not, at least not yet.
Wheatley's developmental arc is encouraging. He went from a rotational piece to a productive starter to a noticeably better player in his final college season, and the Senior Bowl invitation gives him another chance to prove it against top competition. He is not a player who will come in and anchor a secondary from Week 1, but he has the athletic tools, the ball skills, and the competitive reps to grow into a dependable starter within a year or two. A defense that can afford to bring him along gradually while deploying his range on obvious passing downs will get the most out of him early.
Zakee Wheatley percentiles vs other Safetys (NFL Combine historically - higher value represents better perfomance)
How other scouting services rate Zakee Wheatley (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
82.4
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
20.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.