Could the former Michigan standout sneak into the first round?
How often do you think about the Roman Empire? How often do you think about Roman Wilson? While the former question dominated 2023, the latter has taken hold ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft .
Wilson vaulted onto the national stage last season with 48 receptions, 789 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns, all of which led the national champion Michigan Wolverines . Wilson is a smooth-operating lightning bolt with an intuitive intensity and a penchant for trash-talking . While slightly undersized, Wilson plays with a competitive fire and physical nastiness that is rare for wide receivers of any height and weight.
In Michigan’s offense, Wilson had limited opportunities to display the full extent of his talents, but he made the most of those opportunities when able to. His first touchdown reception against Nebraska and “The Catch” on the final drive against Alabama in the Rose Bowl would be near the top of a highlight reel for any of the receivers in this class, but on most of Michigan’s highlight plays from 2023, Wilson can be seen only on the fringes as he eliminates would-be tacklers.
Can Wilson take the next step as a receiver with an increased workload in the NFL? Let’s take a closer look at one of the most intriguing receiving prospects in this year’s draft.
NFL Combine Results
Height: 5-foot-11
Weight: 185 pounds
Arm: 30 ⅜ inches
Hand: 9 ⅜ inches
40-yard Dash: 4.39 (10-yard split: 1.52)
Bench Press: 12 reps
Strengths
- Speed. Although Wilson only ran a 4.39 40-yard dash, he plays much faster without losing any fluidity in his game.
- Reliability. Wilson only had one dropped pass last season — his first target in the first game of the season — and was flawless the rest of the way.
- Aggression. Wilson lives by the “no block, no rock” mantra and attacks every run-blocking rep with bad intentions.
- YAC. Wilson is excellent with the ball in his hands and racks up yards after the catch. Couple this with his familiarity with the West Coast offense, Wilson’s open-field abilities should easily translate to success in the NFL.
- Improvisation. When a play breaks down into a scramble drill, Wilson is outstanding at spacing and working his way back into his quarterback’s throwing windows.
Weaknesses
- Size. The NFL game has allowed smaller receivers to thrive in the last five years, but it is still a concern until proven otherwise.
- Catch radius. With short arms, if Wilson cannot separate on his routes, despite his competitiveness and physicality, he could struggle when tasked with consistently making contested catches.
- Route consistency. In college, Wilson could lack speed variability in his routes and deceptiveness when attacking defenders. However, Wilson has already quelled some of these concerns with an outstanding showing at the Senior Bowl .
NFL Comparison
Seattle Seahawk Tyler Lockett if he was in a fight club.
Projection
After your boy (or girl) goes through a break-up, it’s nice to remind them there is someone out there for everyone. For NFL teams in search of a young wide-receiving talent, that adage goes double for the deepest position at the 2024 NFL Draft.
Aside from Wilson, this draft features Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers, Rome Odunze, Brian Thomas Jr., Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Troy Franklin, Ladd McConkey, Ja’Lynn Polk, Jalen McMillan, Keon Coleman, Johnny Wilson, Ricky Pearsall and Malachi Corley.
In a draft where this is someone for everyone, Wilson should fall somewhere in the middle. Wilson has grown into a consensus top-50 player and should be selected around the late first — the Kansas City Chiefs have been linked to Wilson — or early second round with a myriad of teams in need of a speedy, play-making wideout.