Roman Wilson NFL Draft 2024: Scouting Report for Pittsburgh Steelers WR

HEIGHT: 5'11"

WEIGHT: 185

HAND: 9⅜"

ARM: 30⅜"

WINGSPAN: 72½"

40-YARD DASH: 4.39

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: N/A

VERTICAL: N/A

BROAD: N/A

POSITIVES

— Very good speed. Legit vertical threat with instant top speed.

— Very good quickness and explosive ability.

— Smooth, controlled athlete overall. Can change speeds and direction with ease.

— Great route-runner. Wins with threat of speed and snappiness at the top of his routes.

— Great hands and catch radius relative to his frame. Knows how to attack the ball at its earliest point.

NEGATIVES

— Small frame. May be limited to a slot-only role or need to be kept off the line of scrimmage when playing outside.

— Middling YAC ability, especially in short areas. Not a particularly powerful player.

— Frame and play strength limit his use as a blocker.

2023 STATISTICS

— 15 G, 48 REC, 789 YDS (16.4 AVG), 12 TD

NOTES

— Born June 19, 2001

— 4-star recruit in 2020 class, per 247Sports

— 24 career starts

— 2023 second-team All-Big Ten

OVERALL

Every WR class has a top-50 player who "just gets open." That's Roman Wilson this year.

At 5'10½" and 186 pounds, Wilson doesn't have ideal size for an NFL receiver, but he doesn't need it to be successful. Wilson is extremely reliable working from the slot and when kept off the line of scrimmage as a Z.

Wilson is among the best route-runners in the 2024 NFL draft class. He uses his intense speed to put defensive backs on their back foot immediately and works from there.

In addition to raw speed, Wilson has fantastic control, throttling up and down as necessary to toy with DBs. Wilson also shows quick, precise movement to most efficiently get through his route breaks, regularly creating a cushion of separation for himself.

Wilson is especially effective versus man coverage. He attacks DBs with his speed up until the last possible moment to snap his route off, rarely tipping his hand early in the route. He also has the speed to separate versus man on crossers of all depths.

Additionally, Wilson has good hands for someone his size. He is not an elite ball-winner, but he tracks the ball well in the air and has the blend of explosiveness and flexibility necessary to adjust to the ball.

Wilson's drawbacks are mostly size-related. He may struggle to beat physical cornerback play on the outside, and he doesn't have the size or strength to be useful as a blocker in the run game. Both of those issues combine to make Wilson a pass-only player who may be limited to being aligned off the ball.

Wilson also doesn't earn many tough yards with the ball. He can run and weave through space, but he doesn't have the power or vision to fight for extra yards underneath.

Wilson is an NFL starter. His speed and overall body control give him all of the tools necessary to run routes at all three levels and beat NFL man coverage.

GRADE: 7.4 (High-Level Backup/Potential Starter — 3rd Round)

OVERALL RANK: 46

POSITION RANK: WR7

PRO COMPARISON: Tyler Lockett

Written by B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen

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