Zakee Wheatley
Carolina PanthersOur College Grade
How good he was in college at what his position is supposed to do, out of 100. Scored against everyone else at his position, adjusted for the level he played at. This is not his NFL grade.
College Production
Penn State · Big Ten
| Season | Tkl | TFL | Sacks | Hur | PD | INT | Pos Rk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 24 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 395 |
| 2023 | 24 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 573 | |
| 2024 | 86 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| 2025 | 74 | 2 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 109 |
The seasons in our college data. It does not always reach back to a player's first year.
Scouting Report
Penn State · 2026 draft class
Elite single-high safety who consistently finds the football and makes plays from center field better than any safety in this class. Former 3-star recruit from Archbishop Spalding High School who emerged as a standout after taking over the starting role in 2024. Posted career-best 83.8 PFF coverage grade while cutting his missed tackle rate nearly in half from 17% to 9%. Shows excellent size and natural athletic ability with the range and speed to play free safety at the next level. Physical hitter with enough strength to drop into the box when needed. Known for elite ball skills and positional versatility with ability to close in space. Demonstrated major progress correcting his overpursuit issues from previous season. Has real range to make plays and flows around the back end of the defense effectively.
Strengths
- Always around the football with elite instincts in both run and pass
- Single-high ability paired with elite range to cover tons of ground as center fielder
- Locates the ball in run game and triggers downhill with intent to make big hits
- Natural athleticism to mirror quarterbacks and break on throws makes him dangerous on sideline throws
- Long arms make for good PBUs and wrap-up tackles
- Good ball skills from his high school receiver days
- Quick downhill trigger from reaction time to acceleration
Concerns
- Tackling technique when wrapping up can result in falling around ankles instead of driving through contact
- Aggression to trigger downhill on play fakes makes him susceptible to double moves or deep shots over the top with play-action
- Needs to play more physically against tight ends in man coverage
- Slender build for the safety position lacks hit power
- Needs to get stronger to take and dish out contact against bigger bodies
- Can take poor angles in pursuit when getting too aggressive flowing to the football
Honors
Fiesta Bowl Defensive MVP (2024); All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (2024)