by J.T. Toth
Photo courtesy of Sports Illustrated.
At Draft 412, the NFL draft talk never ends. We will keep you ready for the next set of gridiron stars—from today and all the way until draft night 2024. We will bring you mock drafts, player profiles, individual team needs, and everything else you may need related to the 2024 NFL Draft.
Today’s Spotlight - Florida State Wide Receiver, Johnny Wilson
Name- Johnny Wilson
Pos- WR
Team- Florida State
HT/WT- 6’7” 235 lbs.
Born- 4/3/2001
Home – Calabasas, CA
Wilson lettered four years at Calabasas High School in California. Rated a four-star recruit and the fifth best wide receiver in the country, Wilson originally committed to Oregon but later changed it to Arizona State.
Wilson only appeared in eight games (three starts) during his two seasons at Arizona State, tallying 18 receptions for 243 yards and a touchdown. After his second season, Wilson entered the transfer portal and chose to play for Florida State.
In 2022, Wilson started all 13 games and made 43 receptions for 897 yards and 5 touchdowns and was named second-team All-ACC. He was a big play target all year long, averaging 20.86 yards per catch.
Wilson’s size cannot be taught, and at 6’7”, he has plenty of it. His catch radius is huge and gives his quarterback options on his throws. He has quick feet and good body control for a receiver his size. He possesses straight line speed with solid ball tracking skills while running very precise routes, having an instinctive feel for what the defenders are giving him. Wilson is a willing and effective blocker on the outside and with his size, he should be. He breaks tackles and is tough to bring down and will be a weapon in the red zone in college and the pros.
Negatively, his separation from defenders is lacking compared to the elite prospects coming out in the next draft. He often struggles to fight through bump and run coverages at times, which is uncommon for a man his size. He will not be a “burner” at the NFL level and is said to run around a 4.5 in the 40 yard dash. Wilson has much better numbers against man-to-man and struggles to find the soft spots in zones.
At 6’7”, Johnny Wilson will be the NFL’s tallest wide receiver when he’s chosen next Spring. Watching film on him, it is hard to find a comparable player at his size. It’s easy to reflect on a Harold Carmichaels from Eagle lore, but in the modern day, Allen Lazard may be a better comparison to his game. Wilson will be a handful to cover, especially in the red zone.
Strengths
Size
Route running
Body Control
Red zone weapon
Weaknesses
Separation
Speed
Bump and run coverage
Final Analysis
Johnny Wilson, with his size, will be a weapon that an NFL offensive coordinator would love to have at his disposal. Another big season could guarantee Wilson a day two selection.
Prediction- 2nd/3rd round