Bleeding Green Nation
Finding the right role for Philadelphia’s second-year wide receiver.
One of my favorite things to do every offseason is to go back and compare my post-draft notes on the Eagles’ rookies with how they actually looked when they got on the field. It’s a fun blend of film study, self-evaluation, and a check on how well certain traits really translate to the NFL. I won’t be writing full scouting reports, as I did that after the draft. This series is more about reflecting on his rookie season. Did the player perform as expected? Did anything surprise me? And what do I think comes next? At the end of each article, I’ll give my updated outlook for that player in the future.
Previously: Quinyon Mitchell / Cooper DeJean / Jalyx Hunt / Will Shipley
As usual with these articles, we will start with what I said post-draft after watching Johnny Wilson.
Summary: As big of a WR as you will see, Wilson is a giant of a man who will be a walking mismatch wherever he lines up, but he needs to improve his catching technique to dominate opponents.
Eagles Thoughts: I mean... it would be fun wouldn’t it? Hurts throws a beautiful deep ball and I always want a team with as many mismatches as possible. But I wouldn’t look his way until rounds 3/4.
I was really surprised that Wilson fell to the 5th. I don’t particularly like receivers such as Johnny Wilson and I think of guys such as Kelvin Benjamin and Devin Funchess who didn’t pan out. Wilson feels like another one of those receivers, although I do think there is absolutely something to work with. He does have talent, but he has two huge issues that are going to determine whether or not.
1. He doesn’t dominate at the catch point.
2. He doesn’t separate well enough.
You can make the argument he can still have a successful career if he could do one or the other, but he will bust if he doesn’t improve either one of these. Receivers in the NFL don’t last if they don’t win at the catch point or separate well enough. If he improves at both things, then he could become a decent receiver at the next level because he has the size and movement skills.
Whilst he is useful as a blocker, I am glad the Eagles are keeping him at receiver and not moving him to tight end. Moving big receivers to tight end never works because defenses don’t see them as tight ends. The whole point of 12 personnel is to have tight ends who can both block and run routes and force the defense to play either base or nickel. Playing big receivers at tight end doesn’t work because defenses just treat them as a receivers and stay in nickel, which takes away the schematic advantage you get from 12...
