Michael Wilson NFL Draft Overview
Position: Wide Receiver
Height: 6′-2″
Weight: 213 pounds
School: Stanford
2023 NFL Draft: Michael Wilson Scouting Report
After five injury-riddled campaigns with the Stanford Cardinals, wide receiver Michael Wilson has officially declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. The wide receiver’s final year at the collegiate level was something of a mixed bag, as injuries limited him to just four games. However, he managed to play a big role when on the field, hauling in 26 receptions for 418 yards and four touchdowns during his minimal playing time.
Wilson originally entered the college football world as a four-star recruit. Signing with Stanford, the wide receiver played in 10 games as a true freshman before breaking out in 2019. As a sophomore, Wilson played in 12 games while recording 56 receptions for 672 yards and five touchdowns. Unfortunately, he was never able to replicate this performance, as injuries limited him to just a collective eight games over the next two seasons. In total, the Stanford product appeared in 36 games over his five-year college career, hauling in 134 receptions for 1,662 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Strengths
- Quick cuts at the top of his route to create separation;
- Big, strong player that’s tough to bring down after the catch;
- Stops on a dime and can change direction much quicker than the average player of his size;
- Can box out defenders and win contested catches;
- Knows how to find holes against zone coverage.
Weaknesses
- So, so many injuries – his body clearly does not like playing football;
- Smaller catch radius than you’d expect from a guy with his size;
- Struggles to get off the line aganist press coverage;
- Fifth-year Senior at a position where early declares tend to do a lot better;
- Unreliable hands – 12.5% drop rate per Pro Football Focus;
- Below-average speed for the position – won’t beat defenses deep.
NFL Comparison: Pierre Garcon
Teams With Need at Position: Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, Kansas City Chiefs, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, New York Giants, Tennessee Titans
Bottom Line on Michael Wilson
Michael Wilson is one of the hardest evaluations of the 2023 NFL Draft, simply because it’s been so long since he’s played a full season. The fifth-year Senior looked a bit like his old self in 2022 and had a strong performance at the Senior Bowl, so hopefully, he can bounce back and regain his old skills.
Michael Wilson is bigger and stronger than most wide receivers, and he possesses more lateral burst than you’d expect from a player his size. This allows him to get open on intermediate routes, and even when defenders stay close to him, he can still out-muscle them on accurate passes. While he isn’t the fastest, his large build also makes him hard to take down after the catch, so he can turn 12-yard gains into 17-yard pickups.
Unfortunately, there are a lot of red flags with Michael Wilson, most of which relate to his health. Generally speaking, injury histories are nothing but bad luck, as football is a violent sport and every single player is only one snap away from missing an extended period of time. However, seeing as Wilson missed significant action in three consecutive seasons, it’s worth wondering if his body can handle playing the game of football.
Even if we assume a clean bill of health, Wilson still is far from the perfect prospect. As mentioned earlier, he is a larger guy, but he doesn’t know how to use his size. Wilson struggles to beat press coverage which, in theory, is fixable, but since he hasn’t done it yet, why should we believe that he can figure it out in the NFL? Additionally, he struggles to adjust to off-target passes, which normally isn’t an issue for larger receivers. This lack of catch radius combined with his pedestrian speed limits him to being a short and intermediate threat.
Ultimately, if Michael Wilson stays healthy, he could probably carve out a role as a complementary part of a passing attack. However, that is a BIG “if”, so don’t be surprised if teams aren’t willing to take on that risk.
Main Photo: Kirby Lee – USA Today Sports
