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Stanford wide receiver Michael Wilson was taken by the Arizona Cardinals with the No. 94 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Michael Wilson was never the star at Stanford, but he has been a productive college receiver, and that’s what he projects at the next level. Wilson hopes to have his name called on draft day, and if he does it because of his strong work ethic and intangibles.
While at Stanford, Wilson caught a total of 134 passes for 1,662 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best season came in 2019 when he caught 56 passes for 672 yards and five touchdowns. He has missed a lot of time with injury over the past three years only playing in a total of 14 games. His durability will be a major question he will need to answer as he prepares to transition to the next level.
Michael Wilson: Scouting Report
Wilson plays extremely hard and is a grinder. He was voted a team captain at Stanford, so that shows his work ethic. At 6-2 and 213 pounds, Wilson is a more than willing blocker, which is something you don’t always see with guys coming out of college. He will also scrap for yards after the catch.
The downside is that he lacks elite talent and speed, which could limit his potential to be successful at the next level. Wilson will never be a top-end receiver, and his likely hood at this point would be a good backup receiver. Possibly a WR4. Wilson lacks ball skills down the field and works on defeating the press. His no. 1 priority though should be finding a way to stay healthy.
Mock Draft landing spots
Wilson is being touted as a mid-round pick in the eyes of draft experts. ESPN’s Matt Miller has him going at the top of the fifth round to the Chicago Bears at No. 136. NFL.com’s Chad Reuter has him going at the back end of the fifth round at No. 174 to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Fantasy football implications
If Wilson is able to get onto the field as a rookie, it will most likely be for his abilities as a blocker on the edge instead of his pass-catching abilities. That means he probably won’t get enough targets to warrant fantasy consideration and managers can look elsewhere for rookie sleepers.