Tez Johnson 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Oregon Ducks WR

Tale Of The Tape

Tez Johnson is, to borrow the phrase from Jim Ross, “quicker than a hiccup.” This is a twitchy athlete with rapid feet and great bounce, making it difficult to contain him in close quarters and harder to get lined up with open-field angles after the catch. Johnson has been a featured part of multiple offenses at the college level, and his skills have been universally effective whether he’s playing with his brother at quarterback, in the Sun Belt Conference, or with a national powerhouse like Oregon. 

Johnson has schemed around for the Ducks during the last two seasons. They’ll put him in the backfield and allow him to release off the vapor trails of another eligible for free access; they’ll shift him and leave him offset and play as the split flow receiver on play action passes, or they’ll put him in the slot off the line of scrimmage and charge him with running a variety of routes.

Johnson has taken meaningful volume running shallow crosses, hitches, out routes, wide receiver screens from trips, and diamond formations in 4x1 and slant patterns during his time at Oregon. The average depth of target in the Ducks offense is not necessarily indicative of his speed or separation ability. 

That said, his success rate in 2024 on vertical attempts is much less appealing than his work underneath near the line of scrimmage or over the middle of the field. Despite his stature, this is where he should predominantly be given opportunities to work. Because of his frame and physicality, defenders who can recover and challenge him downfield at the catch point will make life harder for Johnson.

He doesn’t have a great body of work when facing physical coverage at the catch point. He also doesn’t have the longest wingspan or reach, so his margin for securing catches is somewhat limited, and he’ll need good chemistry and placement with his quarterback to ensure he does not have to body-catch throws. 

Johnson won't be a viable asset in the run game, and on run reps, he’s likely going to need to play vertical lift or be put on the backside away from the run. He simply lacks the mass and sustained ability to set blocks that will be needed to be an asset on the front side. This physicality element likely limits him in more ways than just the run game/

I would be surprised if he took a great deal of snaps on the line of scrimmage. He can be put in motion to take snaps as the No. 1 to the field or boundary, but static releases will expose him to a lot of potential disruption by plus athletes with length playing on the outside in the NFL. 

I appreciate his effort. He showcased great strain on a pick-6 by Dillon Gabriel in the red zone against UCLA in 2024—he was on the ground on the goal line and got up to chase the defender a full 100 yards despite being 15 yards behind the play.

Those kinds of reps, plus his work with the ball in his hands as a creative and impactful run-after-catch player, illustrate good enthusiasm for making a play.

Ideal Scheme Fit, Role

Tez Johnson projects as a starting slot receiver in the NFL. He has the quickness and agility to win at the top of the stem and should be afforded the opportunity to run choice routes with space in order to fully maximize his traits.

He can run fades from the slot, but this isn’t necessarily a big-play vertical receiver. His separation would be valued in timing-based offenses that can deliver the ball in first windows with accuracy. His ability to play special teams gives him an obvious boost and roster ability as he develops his route running and release packages at the pro level. 

Grade: 73.50/100.00, Fourth Round Value

Big Board Rank: TBD

Position Rank: TBD