Dalton Wagner Explained

Dalton Wagner
Current Team:Las Vegas Raiders
Number:78
Position:Offensive tackle
Birth Date:5 October 1998
Birth Place:Rockford, Illinois, U.S.
Height Ft:6
Height In:8
Weight Lb:320
High School:Richmond-Burton (IL)
College:Arkansas (2017–2022)
Undraftedyear:2023
Pastteams:
  • Las Vegas Raiders (–present)
Status:Active
Highlights:
Pfr:WagnDa00

Dalton Wagner (born October 5, 1998) is an American professional football offensive lineman for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Arkansas and was signed by the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in .

Early life and education

Wagner was born on October 5, 1998, and grew up in Spring Grove, Illinois.[1] [2] He attended Richmond-Burton High School and was a consensus three-star recruit, being a starter for three seasons and being ranked the best player at his position in the state by Scout.com.[3] [4] He committed to play college football for the Arkansas Razorbacks.[5] [6] In his first season at the school, 2017, he redshirted.[7]

Wagner appeared in 11 games during the 2018 season before becoming a full-time starter in 2019.[7] [8] In the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, he played eight games and was only given three penalties.[7] Wagner started 10 games in 2021, missing three due to injury, and helped Arkansas lead all Power Five teams in rushing yards per game.[9] He partnered with WWE by signing a name, image and likeness (NIL) contract in December 2021.[10] [11]

In 2022, Wagner returned to the team by using an extra year of eligibility granted due to COVID-19, and was named team captain.[9] He started all 12 games, being named first-team All-SEC by Pro Football Focus (PFF).[7] [12] He was invited to the East–West Shrine Bowl after the season and finished his college career with 40 games started.[13] [14]

Professional career

Although some projected Wagner to be a late-round pick in the 2023 NFL draft, he went unselected.[7] [14] Afterwards, he was signed by the Las Vegas Raiders as an undrafted free agent, being given a contract that included $225,000 guaranteed, which was the largest among their undrafted signees.[12] He was placed on injured reserve on August 29, 2023.[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Dalton Wagner Stats. Pro-Football-Reference.com.
  2. News: Freshman OT Dalton Wagner a 'monster of a man'. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Holt, Bob. August 7, 2017.
  3. Web site: Dalton Wagner. Arkansas Razorbacks. 24 March 2017 .
  4. News: Football recruiting: Richmond-Burton OL Dalton Wagner thrives on size, speed. Chicago Tribune. January 19, 2016. Narang, Bobby.
  5. Web site: Richmond-Burton OT Dalton Wagner commits to Arkansas . NBC Sports Chicago. July 29, 2016. Tim, Edgy.
  6. Web site: Tougher than tough: Wagner has chance to break a cycle . WholeHogSports.com. subscription. Bordelon, Scottie. October 14, 2022.
  7. NFL Draft Profile: Dalton Wagner, Offensive Lineman, Arkansas Razorbacks. Sports Illustrated. November 22, 2022.
  8. News: 'Wild ride' for Wagner at Arkansas. Northwest Herald. Newspapers.com. December 12, 2020. A34. Bottino, Barry.
  9. Web site: Teammates thrilled for 'old man' Wagner's nod . WholeHogSports.com. August 30, 2022. Bordelon, Scottie.
  10. News: Hogs O-lineman Dalton Wagner one of 15 athletes signed by WWE. USA Today. December 8, 2021. Wayne, E..
  11. Web site: Dalton Wagner, Hogs' 6-9 lineman, partners with WWE . WholeHogSports.com. December 8, 2021. Jones, Matt.
  12. News: Dalton Wagner's WWE career will wait for now. USA Today. April 30, 2023. Wayne, E..
  13. Web site: Saturday 2023 Shrine Bowl West Team Practice Report: Habakkuk Baldonado and PJ Mustipher Make Waves in Las Vegas. Pro Football Network. January 28, 2023. Cummings, Ian.
  14. Web site: Raiders sign Arkansas OL Dalton Wagner as undrafted free agent. KFSM-TV. Acosta, Jonathan. April 29, 2023.
  15. Web site: Raiders finalize initial 53-man roster for the 2023 season. Raiders.com. August 29, 2023.