As the Super Bowl approaches, we as fans recognize traits that make a good football team, most notably being a great receiving core. This isn’t a coincidence; the remaining four playoff teams would not have nearly as much success if they were without Jamarr Chase of the Bengals, Tyreek Hill of the Chiefs, Cooper Kupp of the Rams, and Deebo Samuel of the 49ers respectively. These players stand out the most of the group as they carry a large share of work compared to the other great receivers left. It’s more prevalent this season than ever that a true #1 WR can beneficially influence an offense and take a team to success.
Looking towards the future, I find that Garrett Wilson out of Ohio State has the potential to be among the league’s best as a true #1 WR. Watching him, he has traits that only some of the best receivers in the NFL have, and that’s what intrigues me the most about him. Wilson portrays the talents that only the best receivers in the NFL have, and if he plays to his full potential, then be sure to keep an eye out for his performances as soon as he hits the NFL stage.
Important Information:
Projected Position: X (Outside Receiver)
Height: 5’11 6/8”
Weight: 192
Arm Length: 31 5/8”
Birthday: 07/22/2000
Career Stats: 143 Rec 2213 Yds 23 TDs
Season Stats: 70 Rec 1058 Yds 12 TDs
Injuries: 2021- Concussion Symptoms (1 game missed)
Trait Grades:
Athletic Ability: 5
Play Speed: 5
Mental Processing: 6
Competitive Toughness: 4
Play Strength: 3
Release: 5
Separation Quickness: 5
Hands: 5
Adjust/Body Control: 6
Yards After Catch: 5
Find Seam: 6
Concentration/Courage: 5
Final Grade (out of 8):
7.05, Pro Bowl Talent
Context:
Wilson is a former five star recruit that made an immediate impact as a Freshman. For the last two seasons, he has been noted as one of the best receivers in the country. Most recently in 2021, he started at X for Ohio St where he put up big numbers as a threat at all three levels of the field despite being a part of the best receiver core in the country.
Athletic Ability/Body Type:
Wilson has adequate height, marginal weight, a slender frame, with solid arm length, and plenty of room to fill out his body. He possesses great acceleration, explosiveness, jumping ability, and balance, with good agility, quickness, and center of gravity, with solid foot speed.
Projection:
Wilson is a starting X receiver in a spread offense with potential to be ranked as a top receiver in the league. He wins with his good release and good separation quickness to gain leverage on defenders and create space to make a play on the football, while also having good enough hands and ability to adjust and control his body to make difficult catches. He has a great feel for the game as well as great awareness, finds open space, and knows where to sit his routes to stay open. His versatility to elude defenders after the catch paired up with his good instincts, his ability to get upfield, and a solid ability to break tackles will do him wonders. While he has to work on his strength to win contested catches on a more consistent basis, his promise is high enough where any team would be lucky to have him.
Conclusion:
I mentioned earlier that the impact of elite receivers has rocketed over recent years. Despite Wilson’s physical build and strength not being ideal, his all-around athleticism and well-balanced skill set as a receiver make up for some of his size deficiencies. Although he might not have an elite singular trait, his talent is spread out to all aspects of being a receiver. His good release, ability to get sufficient separation along with his trustworthy hands make up the key components of being an elite receiver in the NFL. He checks off the boxes of being one of the next great receivers in the NFL, and I expect him to be drafted as such. He’s a top 10 talent in my eyes, and hope that a team with a top ten pick select him given the recent success among rookie recievers.
Videos:
Garrett Wilson catches a Slant and shows off yards after catch ability:
Garrett Wilson runs a Post Corner for an easy completion:
Garrett Wilson makes a big contested-catch TD against rival Michigan:
Garrett Wilson runs a Sluggo and shows off his great ability to adjust his body:
Garrett Wilson runs a Slant Out to create massive separation:
