Garrett Wilson Scouting Report: NFL Draft Prospect

Ohio St. Buckeyes, Wide Receiver #5

Garrett Wilson Measurements

6’0” / 192 Lbs.

Garrett Wilson NFL Draft Profile

Garrett Wilson is a former 5-Star recruit out of Lake Travis High School in Austin, Texas. According to MaxPreps, while at Lake Travis he racked up a total of 220 receptions for 3,639 yards. These stats have carried over to the next level and have helped the Buckeyes achieve back to back college football playoff appearances and even a National Championship appearance during the 2020-21 season.

During his freshman year at Ohio State, Wilson had 30 receptions for 432 yards and 5 touchdowns. In the 2020 season, Wilson decided it was time to step on the gas pedal and show NFL scouts what he is truly made of. In only 8 games, Wilson had 43 receptions for 723 yards and 6 touchdowns. I think I speak for a lot of college scouts out there when I say I am very excited to see what Wilson has to offer this season. Wilson had a solid game 1 against Minnesota where he had 5 receptions for 80 yards and a single touchdown off of a beautiful post route to the left side of the end zone for 56 yards.

Garrett Wilson Strengths

Route Running

Garrett Wilson is a fantastic route runner. His blend of speed and shiftiness allows him to shake the defender and get a few yards of space that allows him to make a play on the ball. He is also very good at sneaking between zones in the middle of the field. A perfect example of this was his touchdown against Minnesota on Thursday. He took his time developing his route and reading the defenders. Wilson found a gap under the safety, behind the linebackers and it led to a 56-yard touchdown. This is a skill that you need to have if you want to be successful in the NFL. I think that if Wilson goes to the right team, he will be able to develop his talents and eventually be one of the top wide receivers in the league.

Body Control

Ohio State Wide Receiver Garrett Wilson

Ohio State Buckeyes WR Garrett Wilson (5).

Wilson’s ability to make a play on the ball when it is at it’s high point is jaw dropping. There are many examples of this during the 2020-21 season where Fields lobbed the ball up to Wilson and allowed him to make a play the way he knows best. He used his insane athleticism and body control to position himself in the perfect spot to make the catch.

Wilson was able to put this on display his freshman year against Cincinnati. In the late second quarter the Buckeyes were on the 9-yard line and Wilson ran a beautiful out-route. When Fields threw the ball high to get it over the Cincinnati corner, Wilson was able to turn around while in the air and make the grab for a touchdown.

Strong Hands

Garrett Wilson Scouting Report

Ohio State Wide Receiver Garrett Wilson (5).

I think that Wilson’s hands are what separate him from the rest of the pack in the 2022 NFL Draft class. He does a very good job of catching the ball in traffic and holding onto it. A good example of this would be when Ohio St. faced off against Miami (OH). Wilson was behind one of the Miami defenders in the end zone and jumped up and made the catch with the ball in front of the defender. Not only is that play hard enough to make already, the fact that he “Mossed” the defender and was able to keep the ball in his possession is incredible.

 

Athleticism

I kind of touched on this when I talked about his route running, but I don’t feel like I did him justice. Therefore, I might as well mention it again. Wilson’s speed and vertical is about as elite as it can get at the college level. His ability to get past the defender and leave them in the dirt is incredible. He can do this by either using his quick feet to shake the defender and then just outrun them. Also, he can just hit the defender with a little stutter step at the beginning of his route to throw them off-balance ever so slightly and then just take off towards the end zone and have an open catch.

Garrett Wilson Weaknesses

Breaking Tackles

When watching his film, I realized that whenever the ball is thrown to him short he is rarely able to make a defender miss. He isn’t able to turn that small gain into an even bigger gain. With that being said, when he is turned completely around on those short routes, he has a tendency just to drop to the ground and ensure that yards are gained. This is preferable to trying be a hero and potentially costing Ohio St. a few yards. Even though this is seen as a weakness of his, I think that after just one year in the NFL he will be able to have this skill almost fully developed. I believe he will be out there making defenders miss like Davante Adams.

A Little Undersized

Although Wilson does not necessarily have a small frame for a wide receiver, I think that he should try and put on 10 or so pounds. This may slow him down a little bit, but I think that he would benefit a lot more by being a little heavier, rather than having that little extra speed.

Garrett Wilson Final Thoughts

Wilson has all of the physical tools to make it into the NFL and have a solid career. If I were to do a way too early mock draft right now, I would have Wilson drafted around picks 15-20. With this being said, I don’t think many NFL teams are going to draft a WR that early in the draft. Even if he is picked in the mid-late first round, I think that he could be the number two receiver taken off the board after his teammate Chris Olave.

Garrett Wilson NFL Draft Prospect Report By Matthew Lewis

Ohio state apparel ad
As FansEdge affiliates we receive compensation for any purchase made through our site.