Philadelphia Eagles News

Eagles select Johnny Wilson with the 185th overall pick

Apr 27, 2024 at 04:30 PM

In a word, Johnny Wilson is big.

The Florida State wide receiver who was picked by the Eagles in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, No. 185 overall, is 6' 6 3/8" and weighs 231 pounds.

And during his four years at Calabasas (CA) High School, Wilson put up big numbers with 187 catches for 3,032 yards, a 16.2 yards-per-catch average, and 43 touchdowns. A four-star recruit, he chose to attend Arizona State, where he played under head coach and former Eagles cornerback Herm Edwards.

The thing is, he didn't play too much. Over two seasons, Wilson appeared in only eight games, with three starts, and caught 18 passes for 243 yards and one touchdown.

Choosing to transfer to Florida State in 2022, he began to put up big numbers once again. In his first season, he led the Seminoles with 43 receptions for 897 yards and five touchdowns, earning second-team All-ACC honors.

Last year, Wilson missed three midseason games because of injuries, but still caught 41 passes for 617 yards and two touchdowns, and was named third-team All-ACC.

Stats

31 Games

26 Starts

102 Receptions

1,757 Receiving yards

17.2 Yards per catch

8 Receiving TDs

Accolades

2023: 3rd-team All-ACC

2022: 2nd-team All-ACC

2022: Led Seminoles in receiving yards (897) and receiving TDs (5)

What Head Coach Nick Sirianni said: "I value the play strength, and so it doesn't necessarily ever have to be about the actual size. If they play strong, you love that, right, because it's a game that requires strength.

"That doesn't matter if you're in the interior of the offensive line or out there playing wide receiver. Again, the strong guys can come in all shapes and sizes. So, we really value that in the wide receiver position. The quickness, the play strength, and he has that. For his size he has good quickness. So, we're really looking forward to working with him."

What Director of Player Personnel Alan Wolking said: "OBVIOUSLY, the size stands out. He has physical dimensions that are in line with most of the big 'F' tight ends in the NFL. He has this rare body type, but he doesn't move like a tight end. He moves like a real receiver. Some people may want to move that body type inside, but throughout the process there was a lot of evidence that he can play outside. When you watch him out there, he's explosive in the takeoff. He climbs up the stem and at the top of the route he sinks and he bends. If you watch the curls, the comebacks – a lot of these guys are leggy in the turnover. You think those guys are going to get undercut. This guy is more of your glider with legitimate bend. He can play like a much shorter person, but then you get all of the wingspan elements that really expand the radius for him. You get a guy where the natural bucket that you're throwing into is just massive. The physical stature is really just an anomaly. He can make some of the most spectacular catches … and what you see is that he has the ability to get balls that almost no one can get to."

Scouting Report

Unique size for the wide receiver position with an excellent catch radius

Has a good feel for navigating through traffic and finding his way to the football

Pop on contact downhill when defeating blocks and striking ball carriers

Runs sharper routes than most receivers that size

Better after the catch than most at that size; his play strength shows up as defenders try to get him to the ground

Graded out extremely well as a blocker

Key Numbers

Legitimately the biggest receiver drafted in the last 10 years. His height (6'6 3/8"), arm length (35 3/8") and wingspan (84 1/2") are all the biggest of any wideout drafted in that time span

One of just four receivers drafted in the last decade who weighed at least 230 pounds at the Combine while running at least 4.55 in the 40-yard dash

Was clocked at 21.2 MPH by Florida State in the 2022 season according to The Athletic's Bruce Feldman. DeVonta Smith hit that mark once last season on offense, the fastest time for an Eagles receiver last fall.

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CB Quinyon Mitchell is swarmed by Eagles fans in Detroit.

AP Photo/Paul Sancya

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CB Quinyon Mitchell tries on an Eagles hat for the first time as a member of the team.

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

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Quinyon Mitchell is the first cornerback to be selected by the Eagles in the first round since Lito Sheppard in 2002.

AP Photo/Jeff Roberson

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Quinyon Mitchell was a second-team All-American in 2023.

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Quinyon Mitchell had six interceptions during his time at Toledo.

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In 2022, Quinyon Mitchell led all FBS players with 20 PBUs.