New York Jets select Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson with the 10th pick. Grade: A
With the 10th pick in the 2022 NFL draft, the New York Jets select Ohio State WR Garrett Wilson.
GRADE: A.
The Jets needed more receiver help for Zach Wilson, and they get it with Garrett Wilson, who might be the most complete receiver in this draft class. Add Wilson to Corey Davis and Elijah Moore, and the Jets’ offense just got a lot more interesting.
Mark Schofield’s scouting report:
Height: 6’0″ (34th) Weight: 183 (13th)
40-Yard Dash: 4.38 (89th)
Bench Press: N/A
Vertical Jump: 36 inches (57th)
Broad Jump: 10’3″ (61st)
3-Cone Drill: N/A
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.36 seconds (23rd)
Bio: Garrett Wilson was a five-star recruit coming out of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas, where he rewrote the record book during his high school days. He left school having set records for career receptions, total yards and total touchdowns. He also led Lake Travis to a 6A state championship in 2016.
Having spent the early part of his life in Ohio before moving to Texas, it was a bit of a homecoming when Wilson chose to play college football at Ohio State. He saw playing time immediately, catching 30 passes for 432 yards and five touchdowns in 2019. In the shortened 2020 season, Wilson caught 43 passes for 723 yards and six scores.
Last year was his true breakout campaign, as Wilson caught 70 passes for 1,058 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Stat to Know: Wilson averaged 16.8 yards per reception in 2020, when he made a move to the slot. That is a big number for a slot receiver.
Strengths: Wilson is a shifty, elusive receiver off the line and after the catch. His sudden movements and change-of-direction skills work to stress defenders after the snap, and Wilson has good feel for stressing the leverage of defenders and giving himself an advantage early in the down.
Take this play against Akron:
Wilson squares off against a press-aligned cornerback playing with inside leverage. But the receiver explodes off the snap and threatens the corner to the outside, before working across his face and establishing inside leverage. Wilson then shakes the defender with his speed and change-of-direction skills, creating a big play in the downfield passing game.
Those quickness skills show up on manufactured touches as well. Ohio State found ways to get him the football on sweeps and screens, and Wilson is a potential home run on those plays as well.
Wilson also has a big-time catch radius and the ability to adjust to footballs on vertical throws, creating more big plays for his offense. While he did most of his work out of the slot in 2020, he saw increased snaps on the outside in 2021 and made the most of them, working himself open on plays like this against Michigan and making his quarterback look good:
With the ability to create explosive plays a need for many NFL offenses, you can see why Wilson might be at the top of many boards.
Weaknesses: Wilson’s change-of-direction skills were enough against press-aligned defenders who were on the smaller side, or who were not overly physical. Longer, or more aggressive, corners gave him trouble from such alignments, and as you project him to the NFL game where he will see more corners willing to take the fight to him at the snap, you can see how the transition might take some time.
Similar to another receiver we will discuss a bit later, too much of a good thing can be a problem for Wilson. His change-of-direction skills, along with his footwork, are impressive. But when the extra stutter-step or two throws off the timing of a concept, that becomes a problem. His ability to separate is good enough, and sometimes less can be more.
Conclusion: Part of the reason others might have Wilson higher on boards is his potential. There is still room for growth with him, and if he shows he can operate on the outside at the next level, the sky is the limit. Even if his eventual NFL role is as a slot option with schemed touches in a Z role, his ability to create explosive plays from such alignments will be a big add for NFL offenses.
Comparison: Everywhere you look, you see the name Diontae Johnson next to Wilson’s profile. Works for me.
