Johnny Wilson May Have Won A 53-Man Roster Spot Doing This
When camp started, Johnny Wilson was by no means a lock to even make the roster. There were a lot of WRs battling for a few spots. We know AJ Brown and Devonta Smith were locks. Britian Covery is likely a lock too. That left 2, maybe 3, spots for a large handful of guys. So a 6th round pick was not guaranteed a spot.
But of the many WRs fighting for a spot, we have heard his name a lot. He impressed thus far in camp. The 6ft6 WR out of Florida State was quickly becoming the camp darling. He was the guy every fan suddenly loved.
Still, we have seen a lot of WRs have productive camps, just to eventually be relegated to the practice squad. Production is not always the thing that earns you a spot. But in the 1st preseason game, there was something he did, that I think will have coaches desperate to keep him around.
It was not what he did when he got targets, but what he did when he didn’t. On several occasions, Wilson had big blocks downfield to set up his teammates.
Johnny Wilson Earning Himself a Role With His Blocking
At the edges of the roster, the little things matter. The 3rd, 4th, and 5th WRs are not going to rack up huge targets unless someone gets hurt. They need to be capable of production, but they need to also do more than just catch the ball.
Wilson proved he can do that. Just look at this Will Shipley TD. Obviously Shipley comes away with the glory. But I think what will have the coaches most excited is the block by Wilson that set it up.
That was not the only example though. All game long if you followed him, you may have noticed him making key blocks. His blocks set up multiple successful WR screens. you will remember WR screens were not exactly a successful play for the Eagles last year. Part of that was poor coaching. It was also poor blocking.
Poor blocking does not look like it will be a problem for Wilson. He has the will to do the dirty work, and the frame to be very good at it. Even if you go back to his time in college, his blocking always stuck out.
Will Johnny Wilson Crack The Roster?
He has a chance to be WR3. But even if he doesn’t win that job, being a willing and capable blocker is the type of thing that will guarantee he has a job in some capacity. If you are going to keep a guy at the edge of the roster, none of them are going to be super productive. But if you can block, or contribute on Special Teams, you can still make an impact.
Johnny Wilson just showed the coaches he does not need the ball in his hand to help the team. Something tells me that is going to get him on the field this season, even if it is mostly as a blocker.
He could also be out there as the slot WR, which is still very much for grabs. At least so far, it sounds like he has been the most impressive WR of the bunch, with vets like Parris Campbell and John Ross not standing out yet. But even if Wilson doesn’t win that job, I think his blocking won him a spot on the 53-man roster.
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