WR CEDRICK WILSON Boise State, 6'22, 197 lbs, 4.55
Practice Squad X Receiver who looks like he could take TWill's spot in 2019. Excellent on deep balls, Brugler had him as a late 5th.
STRENGTHS: Smooth strider with the vertical wheels to stretch the field…outstanding tracking skills over his shoulder…focused on deep throws to run underneath the ball…comfortable snatching away from his numbers…tall and long athlete…quick-footed in his line releases…vision in the open-field to weave through the defense…throttles up and down between gears to catch the pursuit off-balance…tougher than he looks and isn’t intimidated by contact after the catch…experienced returner, averaging 23.9 yards per kick return (31/742/0) and 13.2 yards per punt return (10/132/0) at BSU…senior captain and his coaches speak highly of his professionalism…steady performer and plays with the same demeanor no matter the stage or situation…played through a bum left ankle most of the 2016 season…productive in his two seasons in Boise, setting the single-season school record for receiving yards (1,511) as a senior…NFL bloodlines – father (Cedrick) played seven years in the NFL as a wide receiver (178 career catches), winning a Super Bowl with the Steelers in 2006.
WEAKNESSES: Lanky build with lean muscle definition…questionable play strength to defeat press coverage…can be out-physicaled mid-route and at the catch point…not a tackle-breaker after the catch…limited make-you-miss ability, especially in smaller areas…rounds in- and out-breaking routes…needs to introduce more nuance at the stem to sell routes – doesn’t fooled seasoned defensive backs…ball gets on him quickly at times, leading to double-catches or drops…missed playing time as a junior after tearing ligaments in his left ankle (Oct. 2016), requiring off-season surgery (Jan. 2017), which kept him out of spring drills.
SUMMARY: A two-year starter at Boise State, Wilson was the starting “X” receiver in the Broncos’ offense and lined up on both sides of the formation, running mostly verticals, underneath crossers and outs/digs. He became just the third Boise State receiver to post consecutive 1,000-yard seasons and is a quick study, especially considering he didn’t start playing the position until his first year at the JUCO level. Wilson has natural pass-catching skills and is very efficient from catcher to runner, but he isn’t physically impressive or much of a YAC threat. Overall, Wilson isn’t going to fool anyone with his current route tree, but is one of the best vertical threats in this draft class with his ability to stack-and-track downfield.
GRADE: 5th-6th Round
