The 2024 NFL Draft is right around the corner, and the Kansas City Chiefs are seeking yet another quality haul from general manager Brett Veach.
In recent seasons, Veach and his staff have used the draft to bring in cost-controlled young talents to insulate a championship roster. The results speak for themselves, although windows can close quickly. Kansas City hopes that a good 2024 rookie class joining one of football's younger teams can keep the franchise in top competitive form.
With the draft on the horizon, Arrowhead Report is taking a look at prospects who could hear their names called in late April. Up next is Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson.
Background
- Height: 5106
- Weight: 185
- Age: 22
- Relative Athletic Score: 7.44
- 2023: 48 receptions, 789 yards and 12 touchdowns
- Played four seasons at Michigan
Where Wilson creates advantages
Off the top, Wilson has some of the better speed in this draft class. His 40-yard dash time of 4.39 seconds backs it up, and his 10- and 20-yard splits were also excellent. He's a good overall athlete, which shows up in his ability to run away from defenders on crossing patterns and threaten the field vertically. Combined with some good stop-start fluidity and nice acceleration, his quickness makes him a tough cover. That will also potentially offer him some yards-after-catch upside.
Wilson has a savvy understanding of leverages, timing and when to sit on and break off his routes. The speed keeps opposing defenses honest and once he stacks his assignment, he can begin to leave the defensive back behind and generate separation with those breaks. Despite having a smaller frame (more on that later), Wilson plays bigger than that and makes the absolute most of the catch radius he has. He carries an aggressive mentality on the field. Wilson's body control and ball tracking are both solid traits. He has solid hands, too.
Where Wilson could be at a disadvantage
Although it's true that Wilson plays like a bit of a larger receiver, his size and frame still aren't great for alignment versatility. That aforementioned catch radius, as a result, will always be held back at least some. He didn't display much of an ability or requirement to beat press coverage at Michigan, raising serious questions about whether he'll be able to do so in the NFL. The jury is still out on his chops for lining up on the line of scrimmage on the boundary of the formation.
Wilson's quick-twitch athleticism and agility, in theory, should make him dangerous after the catch. That was mentioned earlier, although it's more of a theoretical threat than a practical one. His athleticism doesn't translate quite as well as a team would like once the ball is in his hands. Tempoing routes and demonstrating effective footwork are minor questions for Wilson in the pre-draft process.
The verdict
This year's class of wide receivers is one of the best in recent memory. There are as many as 20 pass-catchers in the 2024 crop who make at least some level of sense for the Chiefs. From top to bottom, there's also a solid mix of size and speed, reliability, floor, upside and the like.
Wilson likely finds himself in the third tier of wideouts. He isn't ruled out of going in the first round but for all intents and purposes, he's a likely Day Two pick. His lack of size makes it difficult to see him being a go-to option in the passing game, although being a "slot-o-matic" player who uses speed and savvy to get open is squarely on the range of possibilities.
For the Chiefs, Wilson is a nice fit. There would be questions about his skill set overlapping with some players already on the roster but if consolidating the room is the route, he'd be a solid complementary piece. A wideout room with Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, Rashee Rice and Wilson would be tough for defenses to slow down. While definitely imperfect as a player, Wilson is a worthy top-75 pick.
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