In the scouting community, one of the favorite phrases that get thrown around often is “pro comparison.” It’s a term used to relate a college prospect to a current or former NFL player that either resembles their game and measurements or can be a projection of how someone expects that prospect to produce in the league in comparison to the pro player they are being associated with.
Pro comparisons shouldn’t be the end-all/be-all when it comes to scouting a college prospect and how they likely translate to the professional level, but it does give us the means to project how a player likely can be utilized. In the case of Pittsburgh Steelers WR Roman Wilson, he’s drawn several pro comparisons to current Seattle Seahawks WR Tyler Lockett during the pre-draft cycle. NFL analyst Greg Cosell compared Wilson to Lockett for the 33rd back in March, stating that he saw similarities in the two in terms of size, traits, and versatility to play both inside and outside as a boundary receiver as well as in the slot. I also came up with the Lockett comparison in my scouting report on Wilson, noting the two had nearly identical size and similar athleticism at the position as well.
When you stand Lockett and Wilson next to each other, you see that both receivers are considered undersized, with Wilson standing 5106, 185 pounds while Lockett measured in at 5097, 182 pounds back at the 2015 Scouting Combine. They both have 30-inch arms with Wilson having slightly bigger hands than Lockett (9 3/8″ vs 8 3/8″). They possess nearly identical speed, with Lockett running a 4.40 and Wilson running a 4.39, while having the exact same short shuttle (4.07) and three-cone times (6.89).
Wilson and Lockett show off that speed and quickness as route runners, having the footwork to generate separation at the top of their routes. Wilson doesn’t have elite twitch and can do a better job refining his routes, but he does know how to set up defenders at the top of his route and get that 1-2 yards of separation over the middle to reel in the catch. Lockett operates in a similar fashion, using head fakes and leverage to bait defenders to cheat one way before breaking the opposite direction to get into open grass to give his quarterback an open target.
While both Lockett and Wilson are considered undersized compared to the traditional NFL wide receiver, they both have the skill set to stretch the field vertically and challenge defenses with their speed as deep threats. When Wilson was allowed to work downfield at Michigan, he was able to showcase his speed and acceleration by stacking defensive backs and winning vertically on his routes to create splash plays. The same could be said for Lockett, who has been a splash play machine since getting drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round back in 2015, coming up with his fair share of explosive plays where he stretches the seam from the slot of works vertically down the field from the outside, getting past the defender in coverage to haul in deep balls from his quarterback.
Both Wilson and Lockett are not big receivers, but they play much bigger than their listed size suggests. They have shown the capability to make tough catches in traffic and move the chains on possession downs, doing the dirty work for the offense while also providing that finesse you experience with their speed and route running. Wilson has proven that he can play with a junkyard dog mentality as a blocker as well as a pass catcher over the middle, while Lockett has shown us time and again that he can make difficult catches down the field where he tracks the ball over his shoulder and makes the catch while being contested like in the rep below against new Steelers CB Donte Jackson.
As mentioned above, both Lockett and Wilson have shown that they can be inside/outside versatile at receiver, playing both in the slot as well as out wide. Wilson may not have great size, which may give people concerns about how he will be able to handle press man coverage against bigger corners, but he’s shown in college that he can play outside and still produce. Look at the clip below where Wilson is one-on-one with former first-round pick Deonte Banks as Wilson runs the goal line fade from the outside and makes the back shoulder catch over Banks, turning in the air and managing to snag it out of the air for the score. Lockett has shown that he can be a red zone weapon as well despite his size, having the body control as well as the competitive demeanor to make the crucial catch for the score.
Now, this comparison isn’t meant to say that Roman Wilson will have the exact same career trajectory as Tyler Lockett, as Lockett has established himself as one of the most reliable and frankly underrated pass catchers in the game today. Rather, the comparison is meant to shed light on a player with nearly identical measurables, traits, and scheme fit who is currently in the league and was drafted in a similar range in the middle rounds, having the size concerns drop his stock a bit just like Wilson.
Pittsburgh needs a true #2 wide receiver to compliment George Pickens in the passing game, and they don’t have that player currently on the roster outside of Lockett stepping into that role for them. To expect that to happen in his rookie season may be wishful thinking, but much like Lockett has done during his time in Seattle, Wilson will get his opportunity to show that he’s more than just a slot-only receiver and that he can produce healthy numbers at the professional level after being held back by a run-first offense at Michigan. Wilson’s rookie season will be worth monitoring, as he will have the opportunity to put up similar numbers Lockett did back when he was a rookie if he can earn a starting job.
