NFL Draft Profile – Garrett Wilson

School – Ohio State Buckeyes

Position – Wide Receiver

Class – Junior

Height – 6’0” Weight – 188lbs

Ohio State managed to lure the #2 WR in the 2019 class out of Texas and bring him to the Shoe. Under the tutelage of head coach Ryan Day and WR coach Brian Hartline, Garrett Wilson has developed into the potential #1 receiver in the 2022 NFL Draft. Wilson forced his way onto the field early in his true freshman year and has developed into a fully rounded receiver prospect. Despite sharing the field and targets with other NFL 1st round hopefuls Chris Olave, Jameson Williams and Jaxon Smith-Nkigba, Garrett Wilson has showcased his incredible talents and fine-tuned them into elite traits.

Qualities

I saw a quote saying Wilson “could sell water to a fish” referencing a dazzling release off the line of scrimmage, where he sent the defender the wrong way and garnered 4 yards of separation in the blink of an eye. Wilson’s route running ability is the best in the class, establishing separation with ease. His quick feet, head-discipline and smooth movements are a nightmare for defensive backs to keep tabs on. Garrett Wilson can beat you at the line, at the snap, off a step, down the field or at the catch. He really has it all in his route running locker.

The Buckeye receiver has fantastic awareness after the catch. Combine that with Wilson’s quick feet and field-awareness and you’re mixing a lethal cocktail. Wilson knows where the space will be, where his blockers are and how to exploit the coverage on any given throw. Once he has the ball in his hands in open space, good luck tackling him 1v1! Wilson is at his best running through the middle of the field, where he causes absolute chaos with the ball in space.

Wilson also excels in his ball tracking, body control, mobility and sideline awareness – I expect him to feature regularly on Good Morning Football’s ‘toe drag swag’ segment when he’s in the league.

Areas of Improvement

The most obvious area for improvement is Wilson’s physicality. He’s not the biggest receiver and can be outmuscled if he hasn’t worked himself any separation. It’s the same in the blocking game – he doesn’t have the size to manipulate defenders and move them where he wants. Adding a few pounds wouldn’t hurt.

On a similar note, Wilson will be tasked by whoever his new OC is to work on his blocking angles. The enthusiasm is there, but his field-awareness and body control are not as potent as when he is running a route or has the ball in his hands.

It’s not really a trait he can improve on, but draft scouts will note that Wilson isn’t a top end speedster. Fast for sure, but not an elite field stretcher. I believe Wilson’s other traits more than make up for this though, electric speed isn’t everything.

Finally, Wilson does have some lapses in concentration on his tape. It’s clear he was already thinking about yards after the catch when he needed to focus on securing the catch first. You’ll hear concerns over a couple of drops this season, but we heard that about Jamar Chase too and look how that turned out!

Summary

As a NFL Draft Profile – Garrett Wilson is a star. A 1st round receiver, who should be a top 15 pick. You never know what NFL GMs will do, but Wilson has the talent to go in the top 10 picks. He is everything you want in an NFL receiver, brilliant before and after the catch.

Wilson has excellent versatility that the modern NFL will love. While teams zig to the big bodied receivers like Treylon Burks, whoever zags for the elite separator in Wilson will bag themselves a top player.

Written by Jack @JackCDCTT