Oregon WR Tez Johnson 2025 NFL Draft Profile

Tez Johnson, WR

Height: 5'10"
Weight: 165 pounds
Age: 22 years old (May 18th, 2002)

Oregon

Troy

Pros

• Extreme quickness
  The benefit of Tez Johnson being so light is his rapid acceleration, quick change of pace and agility, and elusiveness. He plays as you'd expect for a sub-170-pound player with zero room to add bulk to his frame. Whether he's showing off in routes or after the catch, Johnson requires defenses to swarm to where he's going, or else he'll quickly create chunk plays.
  
  
• Creation ability
  Playing from the slot 87% of his collegiate snaps gave Johnson a ton of experience operating in space and splitting multiple layers of defenses. He averaged an impressive 7.9 yards after the catch per reception throughout his career, outpacing his average depth of target. Forcing 74 missed tackles and racing past far many more defenders who had no chance in pursuit, Johnson is a trustworthy playmaker who makes the offense's job easier.
  
  
• Reliability
  It's not often that a small-handed athlete is reliable at the catch point, but Johnson defies logic here. His career drop rate is a measly 6.7%, and he only broke the 10% mark once. He had only three drops and a 3.3% drop rate in 2024. His two best drop rates came in years where he played out wide more than 16%, which might not be a coincidence as the offense limited his exposure to hard hits over the middle.

Cons

• Frame
  There's no way to get around concerns of Johnson's small frame. He's most compared to Tank Dell and Tutu Atwell because those are the only two playable talents of his size, and those two have had challenges of their own due to their size. Johnson is especially at risk for hard hits and injuries, so he might be a part-time player.
  
  
• Strength
  Obviously, Johnson won't be much of a help in run blocking or be someone who wins at the catch point often. Oregon never had him help in pass-blocking, and he won only 10-of-27 contested catch opportunities over five years. These can be limiting factors for playing time and value for an offense and quarterback who wants to play a certain way. Johnson will be more valuable for timing-based offenses than creators who let their receivers compete at the catch point.
  
  
• Limited Route Depth
  While Johnson is fast, he's quicker than fast, and his size is an impediment to deeper route success. He primarily wins on short and intermediate routes, namely deep outs, comebacks, and digs. He'll win one-on-one man opportunities, but he finds his most success going to soft spots against zone and racing to green space. That said, he's generally more predictable than not. Corners can redirect him and get him off balance rather easily, and his value as a third-down merchant is worth only so much.

Player Evaluation

Tez Johnson is fun and effective in a specific role, but the pathway to being an impactful presence is a difficult one. The NFL has done better with quicker-than-fast receivers in recent years compared to the past, but the inherent physical limitations, risks of injury, and schematic adjustments required are worth considering. Tank Dell is too high of comparison for Johnson because the former is so effective as an outside threat, but the two have similar builds and play styles, even if there's a skill difference. Johnson can bring value as a rotational receiver in the slot, near the red zone, and on conversion downs to move the chains. 

Player Comp: Tank Dell

A to Z Rankings:

A to Z Big Board Ranking: #9 wide receiver, #56 overall

A to Z Draft Grade: 7.58

Draft projection: Day 2