The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Michigan WR Roman Wilson 84th overall in the third round of the 2024 NFL Draft, bringing in a young, talented pass catcher with a knack for shaking defenders out of their cleats as a route runner while also making big plays in the red zone and after the catch. Having conducted the scouting report on Wilson for the site, I concluded that Wilson brings athleticism and toughness to the table as a receiver but that his lack of ideal size may make him the best fit in the league as an inside receiver where he can excel in the slot if he can’t routinely win against bigger, more physical cornerbacks in press-man coverage.
However, one underrated aspect of Wilson’s tape that popped on film was his tenacity and mindset as a blocker. During the pre-draft process, Wilson noted the phrase, “No block, no rock,” on several occasions, stating that it was instilled into the receiver corps at Michigan that you had to be a willing and aggressive blocker to earn the football as a pass catcher on what was a run-first offense for the Wolverines.
Well, Roman Wilson lived up to that mantra to a tee, showcasing incredible effort and physicality as a blocker at just 5104, 186 pounds. One of the best clips of Wilson as a blocker came against Bowling Green, where Wilson takes the safety coming down into the box and plants him into the turf, serving up a pancake block on the inside run as he finishes his block to and through the whistle.
Roman Wilson attacks his blocks as if he were a 250-pound tight end, aggressively shooting his hands into the defender’s chest while running his feet on contact, looking to finish his opponent to the ground like a wrestler. Here is another example of Wilson’s physical blocking style, taking the corner lined up across from him and successfully suplexs him to the turf, finishing on top of the defender for the pancake block.
Wilson has embraced the “No block, no rock” mindset since his freshman season, seeing the field in a rotational role and making the most of his snaps by showing the coaching staff that he can be a capable blocker despite his size. Check out this clip from 2020, where Wilson shows great hands and feet synced together as a blocker against Minnesota, squaring up the defensive back on the edge and working to seal him off from the ball, helping create a big running lane the back exploits for a long touchdown run.
When it comes to sustaining blocks, Roman Wilson acts like a modern-day Hines Ward with his tenacity to play through the echo of the whistle. Here’s a good example against Alabama in the CFP semifinal this year: Wilson punches CB Kool-Aid McKinstry in the chest and proceeds to take him on a ride, driving him off the ball with a great leg drive as McKinstry fails to fight off the block and gets run downfield.
Still, Wilson’s aggressiveness as a blocker can get him in trouble at times, calling for coaches to the the “Woah rather than sick ’em” approach. Here in the same game against the Crimson Tide, we see Wilson pick up a blatant block in the back penalty as RB Blake Corum catches the pass and turns upfield, blowing up the defender on a blindside block that gets the yellow hankie thrown into the air.
Overall, Roman Wilson is an accomplished blocker who brings the demeanor that Pittsburgh’s wide receiver corps has been missing for some time when it comes to doing the dirty work in the blocking department. He takes just as much pride, if not more, in planting defenders into the turf as he does in catching touchdowns, displaying good technique as well as effort on his block attempts.
His effectiveness will be challenged at the NFL level against bigger, stronger defenders, but Roman Wilson’s mindset as a blocker was vital in him getting drafted by Pittsburgh, and his ability to contribute in that facet of the game in OC Arthur Smith’s offense could be the key to him seeing the field early in his rookie season.
