NFL Draft Profile: Garrett Wilson, Wide Receiver, Ohio State Buckeyes

NFL draft profile scouting report for Ohio State wide receiver, Garrett Wilson

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#5
Pos: WR
Ht: 5116
Wt: 183
Hand: 0978
Arm: 3200
Wing: 7648
40: 4.38
Bench: N/A
3-Cone: N/A
Shuttle: 4.36
Vert: 36"
Broad: 10'03"
DOB: 7/22/00
Eligible: 2022
Austin, TX
Lake Travis High School

Garrett Wilson
Ohio State Buckeyes

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One-Liners

Garrett Wilson is a twitchy and flexible athlete that wins at every facet of being a wide receiver.

Pros:

Garrett Wilson is a twitched up athlete with excellent suddenness and flexibility. He displays inside-outside versatility with a diverse route tree. Excellent overall release package vs a variety of techniques and coverages. He sets up releases as games go on by working them into different route stems. Good understanding of attacking leverage in his route stem and changing up aiming points. He knows how to attack blind spots and shows very good timing. He is sudden and violent with his hips in and out of breaks. At his best on a vertical plane where he can manipulate space and stop on a dime creating ample separation. Wilson shows good pace and stride variation making him tough to predict especially with his hip fluidity. Good understanding of finding soft spots in zone and working back to the QB. Overall a route salesman using his entire body with excellent timing. Absurd body control and ability at adjusting to inaccurate passes all over the frame. Elevates very smoothly with good tracking ability and timing at the catch point. Overall, good hands and makes catches away from the frame. Dynamic after the catch with plus slipperiness with the fluid hips and sudden change of direction making it very hard to get a clean hit on him. 

Cons:

Wilson is slightly under 6 foot and still developing physically. Play strength is adequate and needs work at fighting off hands in press. Occasionally will raise pad level indicating he is about to snap off his routes. Concentration drops are an issue as he tries to turn into a runner too quickly. Blocking needs work.

Summary:

Garrett Wilson projects to be a very good receiver at the next level. He wins at all three levels and excels at every aspect from releases to route running, at the catch point and after the catch. Physically he is still developing and will have concentration drops at times. Could make an impact as a returner

Background:

Hometown is Austin, Texas. Attended Lake Travis HS. Rated as a five-star prospect by 247Sports. 20th ranked overall player in the class, 2nd rated wide receiver in the nation and 3rd ranked player out of the state of Texas. Named the All-American Bowl Man of the Year because of his involvement in community service, education and athletic distinction. Dealt with injury his senior year of high school. Selected as the Central Texas High School Athlete of the Year. Three-sport athlete who also accumulated Division 1 offers for basketball. Earned first-team All-Central Texas honors for basketball. Parents are Kenny and Candace Wilson. Father, Kenny, played basketball at Davidson and ranks 7th in scoring on the school’s all-time list with 1,573 points. Wilson is exploring majors in the areas of management and industry. 

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Grades

Current Player Value/Potential Player Value

8.3/ 8.9

Quote from NFL Combine: Day 1 Winners: Many expected Wilson's teammate Chris Olave to be the blazer of the Buckeye duo that tore up college secondaries during their time in Columbus, Ohio. And while he did not disappoint with an impressive sub 4.4 time in the forty, Wilson blew everyone away with his 4.38 40-yard dash. Many figured he would run in the 4.5 range due to his game being built off routes and nuance. To run that fast and show his silky movement in the pass-catching drills, Wilson may push towards his pro day with even more talk as the best wide receiver in the class.

When asked about Chris Olave and if they feed off each other and compete, this is what Wilson had to say: "Yeah, most definitely. Being the competitors we are, we definitely compete at everything we do. We're always pushing each other to be better and be the best. So we definitely do. We've had a great friendship. Coming in, being a freshman, having him as a sophomore, he had done everything I was hoping to do. So it was awesome seeing that."

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2022 Garrett Wilson Fantasy Football Overview:

There is no more NFL-ready wide receiver in the 2022 class than Garrett Wilson. The Ohio State standout runs concise routes and can create separation consistently. Wilson has excellent hands and concentration, frequently making difficult sideline catches look routine. He is fast enough to get open on deep routes and will get yards after the catch. Wilson displayed his athleticism by running the ball six times for 143 yards and one score and finished his three-year career with 143 receptions, 2,213 yards, and 23 touchdowns. The 21-year old is firmly in tier one of rookie receivers and is a lock to go in the first round of the NFL draft.

2022 Garrett Wilson Draft Strategy:

If dynasty managers want Garrett Wilson, they will likely need to take him in the top half of round one. He could go between picks 3 and 7 in Superflex leagues. Wilson has the talent to be a high-target receiver in his rookie season, giving him a high floor and the ceiling of a wide receiver one.

Best Case Scenario:

The only question is which team drafts Wilson in the first round. The Las Vegas Raiders would be a good landing spot for the former Buckeye. Derek Carr consistently throws for more than 4,000 yards and 20 touchdowns despite a lack of a true alpha receiver. Wilson would fill that role immediately. Other great landing spots would be teams with outstanding passers like the Chargers or Cardinals.

Worst Case Scenario:

Situations can change quickly, but poor quarterback play makes it difficult for pass-catchers to provide fantasy value. The Giants, Browns, and Saints could be in the market for a wide receiver, but all are near the bottom of 2021 passing yards. Until these teams find a reliable quarterback, receivers will struggle in these offenses.