Eagles Film Review: What does the future hold for Johnny Wilson?

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

Johnny Wilson

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 personnel. Additionally, big receivers aren’t good enough at blocking to make a difference in the run game so it barely ever works. I want to see him stay at receiver, end of. With the retirement of DeVante Parker, I think there is a backup X spot up for the grabs that Johnny Wilson could end up taking this season if he has a good camp.

Things I Expected

Johnny Wilson’s rookie season unfolded almost exactly how I expected. In my pre-draft notes, I wrote:

“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.”

He looked massive on the field! However, I also flagged the two critical issues that would define his success or failure:

“He doesn’t dominate at the catch point. He doesn’t separate well enough.”

And beyond that, I questioned whether his skill set would translate to the modern NFL:

“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.”

One reason those big-bodied receivers often fail is a lack of true deep speed. Wilson doesn’t have the burst or acceleration to separate downfield, which means he’s forced into contested situations far too often. We saw this too often this year.

I just don’t like receivers who can’t separate because they have to be exceptional at the catch point. Johnny Wilson isn’t that. This led to just 5 catches on 15 targets for 38 yards and 1 touchdown, with just one postseason target which ended in an incompletion. Despite logging 406 snaps, only 178 of them were passing plays. The Eagles leaned on him as a blocker rather than a receiver.

Things That Surprised Me

Honestly, very little about Wilson’s rookie year surprised me. He was as expected. His size theoretically gives him mismatch potential, but he didn’t prove he can consistently outmuscle smaller defenders at the catch point. This is something that simply has to improve. Reports from training camp suggest that is still an issue.

If Wilson can’t dominate jump balls over a 5’10” corner, his size advantage is meaningless. Combine that with his lack of deep speed, and the concerns I raised pre-draft remain front and center.

Questions I Still Have

1. Can Wilson ever develop the technique and timing to consistently win contested catches? I don’t think he will make it at this level if he can’t win 50/50 balls frequently.
2. Without deep speed, can he find other ways to separate, or is he destined to be purely a red-zone and blocking option? If he can’t separate vertically, can be carve out a role as a matchup specific or game specific player? I do think he has some decent movement skills for a player at his size, but we didn’t see it enough last year.
3. Is he even a lock to make the 2025 roster? His path to playing time is unclear unless he dramatically improves. We have heard good things about Elijah Cooks and Terrace Marshall (pre-injury). Could he take Wilson’s spot if the Eagles only keep 5 receivers?

The Future

Johnny Wilson did about what I expected as a rookie. His size was helpful and he blocked well but offered little as a receiving threat. Without deep speed or separation skills, his path to becoming a reliable NFL receiver is steep. If he can’t dominate contested catches, he risks being the next in a long line of “big receivers” who look like mismatches on paper but fail to translate to the pro game.

Going forward, I think his future is as a big slot, not an outside receiver. Wilson played 107 snaps in the slot compared to 260 out wide in 2024, and that balance needs to shift. His speed limitations hurt him outside, but his size and blocking ability could be valuable over the middle of the field, in the red zone, and on perimeter screens or outside runs. We saw this last year.

If the Eagles focus on developing him as big slot, where he can use his frame against smaller nickel corners and safeties, as both a pass catcher and a blocker then he might carve out a role. But if they keep forcing him to win outside against quicker corners, I’m not sure he’ll ever justify his roster spot.

Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you enjoyed this piece, you can find more of my work and podcast here.