FSU’s big man WR draws attention
Could 6-foot-7 WR fit with Dolphins?
INDIANAPOLIS — Florida State wide receiver Johnny Wilson is 6-foot-7, 237 pounds and so it should not surprise you to hear some wonder if he’ll end up at tight end.
“I just let my play do the talking,” Wilson said at the NFL scouting combine on Friday. “I’ve been having to fight that since I reached 6-5. So, it’s not new to me.”
Wilson posted 85 catches, 1,514 yards and seven touchdowns in two seasons at FSU.
He is a receiver. He’s just a big receiver, nicknamed “Birdman,” after all.
“Physical, fast and deceptive,” the California native said, when asked to choose three words to describe himself.
Miami’s top receivers are small. So it’s always possible the Dolphins consider Wilson with the 51st overall pick, in the second round, or perhaps a bit later if they move back.
According to scouting reports, Wilson - who began his career at Arizona State - is a physical freak with a long stride and catch radius.
NFL Draft 2024: Johnny Wilson is strong blocker
The Dolphins could use a towering receiver who can also block and Wilson enjoys that part of his game, demonstrating tenacious tendencies.
“Honestly it starts with a mentality,” Wilson said. “If you want to win, you’re gonna’ do your job. That comes with making the catch and running around but also blocking when you need to block. When you see how many runs we broke on the perimeter just from great perimeter blocking, it makes you want to say ‘OK, let me drive this dude into the ground.’”
Wilson was a four-star recruit who disappointed as a Sun Devil.
“I didn’t have as much production as you, as I, may have wanted to or teams you know wanted to,” Wilson said. “I was injured my second year.”
It sounds like Wilson feels FSU was the right transfer decision.
“I chose Florida State but at the same time, Florida State chose me at a time when I was on the portal,” he said. “I thought, you know, my career could have been over. Not a lot of schools had barely reached out. So, Florida State choose me. Coach (Mike) Norvell believing in me and my abilities, that was a blessing for me.”
Wilson praised Norvell.
“Coach Norvell, he’s taught me a lot of life lessons you know as well as football lessons,” he said. “I look at coach Norvell as a huge role model in my life. I didn’t have a male figure like that for a lot of my life.”
FSU’s Johnny Wilson intrigues at NFL Combine 2024
One thing Wilson has been told is to work on the consistency of his hands.
“Staying on the JUGS,” Wilsons said. “Getting out there with a quarterback, my best friend back home, and just getting some extra work with him. Just making sure I catch balls every day.”
What does the team selecting Wilson get?
“They’re getting a dude that’s going to work every day,” Wilson said. “I’ve got heart. At the end of the day, whatever I’m going through, I understand I’ve got a job to do and people are always dependent on me. So at the end of the day, I just love the game too much to come up short and not give my all.”
Joe Schad is a journalist covering the Miami Dolphins and the NFL at The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jschad@pbpost.com and follow him on Instagram and on X @schadjoe. Sign up for Joe’s free weekly Dolphins Pulse Newsletter. Help support our work by subscribing today.