From now until the 2024 NFL Draft, we will scout and create profiles for as many prospects as possible, examining their strengths, weaknesses, and what they can bring to an NFL franchise. These players could be potential top-10 picks, all the way down to Day 3 selections, and priority undrafted free agents. Today, a scouting report on Florida State WR Johnny Wilson.
#14 Johnny Wilson/WR Florida State – 6063, 231 lbs. (Junior)
NFL Combine
MEASUREMENTS
| Player | Ht/Wt | Hand Size | Arm Length | Wingspan |
| Johnny Wilson | 6063/231 | 10″ | 35 3/8″ | 84 1/2″ |
| 40-Yard Dash | 10-Yard Dash | Short Shuttle | 3-Cone | |
| 4.52 | 1.55 | 4.11 | N/A | |
| Broad Jump | Vertical | Bench Press | ||
| 10’8″ | 37″ | N/A |
The Good
– Elite size, explosion and agility testing at the combine with good speed testing as well
– A mixture of deceptive speed and massive size makes him a mismatch which was shown at the Senior Bowl in the one-on-one segment
– Understands zone spacing and how to find holes
– Has flashed being able to make tough catches outside of his frame
– Wins as a deep threat almost at will
– Has a fallback option on playing tight end if being a wide receiver doesn’t work out initially like Darren Waller
The Bad
– Noticeably below average route runner who lacks great twitchiness in and out of breaks
– Disappointing blocker considering his size by letting defenders outside his frame which becomes worrisome when considering a possible position change to tigh tend
– Lackluster production where there was a statistical drop off from 2022 to 2023 and found the end zone zero times in 12 of his last 13 games
– Shows traits of being a body catcher rather than a true hands catcher, leading to drops
– Below average agility that makes using him in short yardage harder like on screens, whip routes or jet sweeps
Bio
– 22 years old (April 3rd, 2001)
– Three starts in 8 games played for Arizona State and started all 23 games played in for Florida State
– 102 catches, 1,757 receiving yards, 8 receiving touchdowns, and 17.2 yards per catch in his college career
– 41 catches, 617 receiving yards, 2 receiving touchdowns, and 15.0 yards per catch in 2023
– Missed a total of four games in 2023 due to undisclosed injuries
– Four-star WR in his 2020 high school class from Calabasas, CA
– Four-year contributor at Calabasas, recording 187 receptions for 3,032 yards and 43 touchdowns
– Initially committed to play college football at Oregon during the summer before his senior year
Tape Breakdown
The most glaring issue with Johnny Wilson’s game is his drop issue and lack of trust in his own hands. He’s shown his ability to get open as a deep threat using his speed off the line but it becomes irrelevant how open he is if he can’t make the catch. As seen in the first clip, where he is lined up as the receiver at the bottom of the screen, he creates a ton of separation down the field from the post route and drops a home run ball. This is the same game he had over 200 yards in and missed an opportunity to have a lot more.
The other two clips show Wilson creating separation both in zone and man coverage just to drop the ball again when it hits him right in the chest. Before seeing these drops on his film, it was already apparent he doesn’t trust his hands considering body catching was his default way to catch the football. These drops and defaulting to body catching is unattractive to NFL teams and especially the guy throwing the football.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 6, 2024
Using his large frame to his advantage can really make him a difference maker for an NFL team. Once again lined up as the receiver at the bottom of the screen, Wilson is given a perfect opportunity to be wide open in zone coverage from the defense. Despite being this open, Jordan Travis delivers an unfavorable ball potentially due to the defender in his face, but Wilson is able to make a full body extension catch. This gives Florida State a first down and doing this more often will no doubt raise his value to an NFL team. The ability to bail your quarterback out of a bad throw is something every franchise values.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 6, 2024
From a route running perspective, Johnny Wilson is well below the NFL’s talent. Constantly on his film he relies on his frame and speed to be good enough which is why he will just try and slip under the defensive back. While that technique can work in the NFL, not as your go-to-move and that’s exactly what it is for Wilson. In a situation like this where Wilson is lined up as the bottom stacked receiver on the line of scrimmage, Wilson gets to the top of his break and rounds out the dig route. This allows the defender to recover by flipping his hips and still be in a pretty good position to break up the pass. Now granted he was a pretty good recruit out of high school, but if a sophomore corner in Toriano Pride Jr. is able to sit on this pretty comfortably against Wilson, most NFL DBs will be able to as well.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
This is the best clip I could find from the Senior Bowl but it also speaks to Wilson’s inability as being a good route runner. Wilson slips on this route against Auburn corner DJ James due to trying to get out of his break too quickly. He turns his shoulders before his feet which causes his feet to be outside of his frame and ultimately the slip. As a good route runner, your feet are supposed to drive you into your break. If Wilson’s speed and frame don’t win him reps, he is unable to do it with his route running due to not being good at the intricacies.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
Wilson isn’t known for his ability to get yards after the catch but he does flash potential. In these clips he’s shown shrugging off arm tackles and trying to fight for extra yardage against LSU. If he does fully commit to making the switch to tight end, he just needs to gain some weight and be in the weight room to be a solid yards after the catch player. Even if he stays at wide receiver we can see development in this area just from getting in the weight room more.
— Steven (@Elspedd2) March 7, 2024
Conclusion
Florida State’s Johnny Wilson is a receiver who is going to have to prove his worth to continue to be on an NFL roster once he gets drafted. His unicorn-like size and speed combo for the position is good enough alone to give him his initial opportunity but the lack of technical refinement is going to be his downfall. Considering his four-star grade coming out of high school, Wilson’s production in college was pretty disappointing, averaging just over 430 yards and two touchdowns per season in college.
He’s shown over and over that drops are an issue and like the Oklahoma (2022) game, they can be costly on home run plays. These drops make him unreliable and a player you question to go to in a late game situation where you need a play. It’s clear even he doesn’t fully trust his own hands as he is a body catcher first and foremost which is less favorable for the quarterback. His route running, yards after the catch ability and agility all have shown to be well below average compared to his peers in the draft and the current NFL rostered players.
These traits not being up to par for the NFL’s standards suggest a transition to tight end but his lack of great blocking is a knock for that idea. He could very well be an Evan Engram or Darren Waller type player in the NFL which is why I believe he will go in the mid-rounds versus the later ones. If being a wide receiver doesn’t work out, Wilson is in a unique position to try tightend which opts for a low risk and potentially high reward type pick for a franchise that selects him. At minimum Wilson can serve as a special teamer who adds depth to two positions.
Projection: Mid-Day Three
Depot Draft Grade: 6.6 – Backup/Special Teamer (Fifth Round)
Games Watched: LSU (2023), Senior Bowl (2023), Clemson (2023), Oklahoma (2022)
