Michael Wilson 2023 NFL Draft Profile
The beauty of the pre-draft workouts is this is where we see under-the-radar players shine. The Senior Bowl is one of the first events, and one of my biggest winners was Stanford’s Michael Wilson. I came away very impressed and his showing in Mobile, Alabama, has seen him rise up draft boards. What does his draft profile look like? Let’s talk about it.
Wilson was a four-star recruit out of Chaminade High School in Southern California in 2018. He played 13 games as a true freshman in 2019, starting twice. Wilson started 12 games in 2019, leading the Cardinal in receiving with 56 catches for 672 yards and five scores. A foot injury cost him most of the 2020 season, only starting four games. The injury bug caught Wilson again in 2022, missing the second half of the season.
Wilson impressed at the Senior Bowl and followed that up with a good showing at the NFL Combine. Trey noted his ability to catch over the shoulder and sinking his hips to create separation. Click here for the full receiver notes.
Two major things stand out to me. Wilson is a fantastic run-blocker. That’s an underrated skill in the NFL. He also has glue-like hands. I love his route running. He has crisp cuts and uses his hips to dive in and create a little space, that’s all he needs. When the ball is in his hands, he’s like a bull in a China shop. Super aggressive. Love that. Long strider helps him create separation on the deep ball. He should make a very good gunner early on as he cleans things up and learns the game more.
Obviously, the injury concerns are a red flag. Wilson only played 14 games over the last three seasons. Oof. His 4.58 40-time might be a turn-off to some teams. I’d like to see him use his hands more instead of being a body catcher. He’s got a little twitch off the line, but he could work on his release.
I think Michael Wilson is going to turn into a solid receiver. He might not ever be a WR1 but he could be a guy. I have a third to fourth-round grade on Wilson. He has the ability to warrant a top-100 pick, but that injury history might scare teams off. I’m in.
