Senior Bowl executive director on Roman Wilson: 'No receiver boosted their draft stock more'
The Michigan Wolverines will be represented by a record 18 players at the 2024 NFL Combine in Indianapolis, but one of its red-hot prospects, wide receiver Roman Wilson, has already turned heads this offseason.
Performing in the 2024 Reese’s Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama last month, Wilson was one of the breakout attendees after playing a large role in U-M’s College Football Playoff National Championship. Executive director Jim Nagy kept the hype train rolling on Friday morning, posting a clip to social media of Wilson getting the better of Rutgers defensive back Max Melton during the week of practices.
“No receiver boosted their draft stock more at [the Senior Bowl] than Michigan’s Roman Wilson,” Nagy said. “Textbook rep here for all WR coaches to show their players, with Wilson drawing contact to gain separation downfield.
“One reason why my comp for Wilson (5014v, 186v) has been Seahawks’ Tyler Lockett (5097v, 182v) is that both play bigger & sturdier in contact phases than their measurables. Check out what stacking the DB did here…left defender off the frame of the video. [Fantasy football] owners, [Wilson] will out-produce many junior WRs currently being mocked ahead of him as a rookie next year.”
Wilson finished the 2023 season with 48 catches for 789 yards and 12 touchdowns and currently ranks 50th on Pro Football Focus’ big board, which would put him somewhere in consideration in the second round of the draft. Justin Melo of The Draft Network was present for his showing at the Senior Bowl, and said what he saw reminded him of a few recent NFL rookies that broke out early after performing well at the event.
“Wilson possesses the inside-outside versatility necessary to play the “Z” or the slot,” he said. “Michigan asked Wilson to run the complete route tree and he responded by handling everything thrown at him. He’s especially a sharp processor with well-developed spatial awareness when facing zone coverage. Wilson places the cherry on top of his skill set with secure, reliable hands at the catch point. Any pass-happy offense would benefit from adding Wilson in April’s 2024 NFL Draft.
“Think of the receivers that came before Wilson who revealed themselves to be game-changing weapons at the Senior Bowl. Jayden Reed, Tank Dell, and Puka Nacua were among last year’s standouts. All three enjoyed outstanding, (even historic in Nacua’s case), rookie seasons. With continued success in Mobile, Wilson appears capable of following in those footsteps.”
Next up in the process is the 2024 NFL Combine, set for Feb. 25 through March 4 in Indianapolis. This year’s draft will be held in Detroit from April 25-27, just 45 minutes down the road from Ann Arbor.
