In a 2022 NFL Draft class loaded with talent at wide receiver, Garrett Wilson was the second to be selected — but his landing spot caps his fantasy football upside as a rookie and beyond. Our expert explains why below, followed by a former NFL GM's evaluation of Wilson as a pro receiver.
Garrett Wilson Fantasy Football Outlook
by Samantha Previte, fantasy football analyst for Action
Landing Spot Grade: C+
It almost goes without saying that Garrett Wilson's stock takes a hit ending up with the Jets, who have had a top-four pick in four of the past five drafts and have not had a winning season since 2015.
Quarterback Zach Wilson — the No. 2 overall pick in 2021 — will need to make a significant Year 2 leap to unlock fantasy stardom for any of his pass catchers. Zach Wilson ranked 33rd (remind me how many NFL teams there are?) in passing yards per game and 35th in yards per attempt among quarterbacks who started five or more games last season. He averaged 179.5 yards per game and tallied nine touchdowns, 11 interceptions and an abysmal 55.6% completion percentage over 13 starts during his rookie campaign.
Garrett Wilson will need to compete against 2021 second-rounder Elijah Moore, as well as veterans Corey Davis and Braxton Berrios. At first glance, that wide receiver room doesn’t inspire fear, but we need to take into account their signal caller’s limitations.
The Jets (and fantasy managers alike) hope that a year of experience, improvements on the offensive line and upgraded weapons will give Zach Wilson the boost he needs to warrant last year’s No. 2 pick. If he remains a work-in-progress, however, Garrett Wilson would likely end up being more of a long-term play with higher dynasty value relative to his 2022 value.
2022 Fantasy Potential: WR3 upside.
I struggle to envision a Zach Wilson-wielded receiver ending up top 24 this season. Toss in some concerns of erratic route-running, and it seems more likely that Garrett Wilson ends up in the lower rungs for fantasy in Year 1.
Garrett Wilson Pre-Draft Evaluation
by Randy Mueller, former NFL general manager and team executive
Wilson does it with a different style and substance, but is just as explosive and probably stretches the field even better than Olave. Wilson comes off the ball with a running gate that eats up a defender's cushion quickly and puts coverage people in jeopardy and on their heels.
His straight-line speed should allow him to be a legit deep threat, and his average per catch in the pros should be high.
Garrett can be slightly mechanical at times, and his routes are a work in progress. He can be really explosive on deep dig routes and in open spaces. Wilson plays on the field to that same 4.38-speed that he ran at the combine. His slight frame shows at times vs. incidental contract downfield, so improving his strength and adding some mass will be goals to improve his ability to make contested catches and fight through some contact once in the NFL.
Overall, his hands are solid, but Wilson will need to be more consistent to become that go-to guy.
His physical athletic skill set is very much what you look for when evaluating receivers at the NFL level. Having said that, he is raw in some ways with the little details of the position, but should have big upside because he is so gifted athletically.
