2020 NFL Draft: The year of the wide receiver
By Ryan Roberts
Collin Johnson, Texas
If you want a skyscraper who can be a potential headache in the red zone, you need to head down to Austin and check out Texas Longhorns star wide receiver Collin Johnson. At 6-6 and 220+ pounds, you are not going to find any bigger in the college football landscape. The size Johnson possesses pretty much sums up his game to a tee. Throw the ball up high and watch the young man work.
If I needed a jump ball to be won with a WR from the 2020 class I would probably target Collin Johnson. Just one example of how great his hands and body usage is when going up. pic.twitter.com/erkz1cKcXo
— Andrew Harbaugh (@AHarbaugh_) May 27, 2019
Johnson couples that size with a great body control ability at the point of contact. He is able to get himself in proper position, showing a nuanced understanding of spacing in crowded areas. 50/50 balls turn into more like 75/25 balls in Johnson’s favor, in most cases.
There are questions about what Johnson has that’s special beyond his size, though. Does he have a role? Is he able to be used adequately at the next level? Without a doubt. The young man can play ball. He is a size mismatch that establishes his dominant size to his advantage. But does he have anything that screams anything more than a role player? I am just not sure right now.
The 2019 season is going to be a huge opportunity for Johnson to build off of a 68-catch, 985-yard and seven-touchdown performance during his junior year. With Lil’Jordan Humphrey off to the NFL, Johnson is presented with the opportunity to be the unquestioned top target for soon to be junior quarterback Sam Ehlinger. We will soon know well enough just how high of a ceiling Johnson has transitioning to the next level.