Browns NFL Draft Profile: WR Roman Wilson

Speedy receiver could be an intriguing option when Cleveland is on the clock in the 2024 NFL Draft.

The Cleveland Browns have the makings of a solid wide receiver group for 2024.

The club added Jerry Jeudy via a trade to a group that already included Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore and Cedric Tillman, last year’s third-round draft pick.

Related: Senior Bowl interview with wide receiver Roman Wilson

Contract decisions are looming, however, regarding Cooper, whose cap hit takes a major dive after this season, and Moore, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.

General manager Andrew Berry may be interested in adding another wide receiver in the draft to plan for potential losses after the season, and one name to keep an eye on is Michigan wide receiver Roman Wilson.

Name: Roman Wilson

Position: Wide receiver

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 185 pounds

College: Michigan Wolverines

Stats (4 seasons): 46 games, 107 receptions, 1,707 yards, 16 yards per catch, 20 touchdowns

Relative Athletic Score

Average “Big Board” Position As of Publishing Date

48th Overall (NFL Mock Draft Database)

PFF Big Board Rank: 47th

What an Expert is Saying

Pros and Cons

Roman Wilson had a breakout season in 2023 with collegiate highs in receptions (48), yards (789) and touchdowns (12). He may be a bit small compared to other wide receivers in the NFL and may struggle against more physical cornerbacks. But he is fast, a solid route runner, and the type of player who finds a way to get open, which is always a nice trait for a wide receiver.

Wilson’s speed is what catches the eye of NFL teams, according to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein:

(Wilson is a) smooth strider with alarming speed once he touches top gear. Wilson primarily focused on attacking the intermediate and deep portions of the field, adding an explosive element to the Wolverines’ ground-and-pound approach. Wilson is an electrifying athlete, which should push his stock up, but he’ll need to learn to level up his skill getting from Point A to Point B as a route-runner to reach his potential. Wilson has good hands and can run after the catch down the field, but he’s not really a catch-and-go option underneath. He has the separation potential to make a quarterback’s life easier and figures to continue his ascension as a starting slot talent.

While his speed is an asset, Wilson still needs to work on how to best utilize it, according to The Athletic’s Dane Brugler:

Thanks to a strong sense of the biomechanics of his athleticism, Wilson makes crisp speed cuts without breaking stride, which creates separation and gives his quarterback a target. However, not every route is a race, so he needs further development with his pacing early (like on his releases) and late.

Wilson became the go-to weapon for the Wolverines in 2023 and was one of just 10 FBS players with at least 12 receiving touchdowns. For the season, 79.2 percent of his catches resulted in a first down or touchdown.

Browns Player Drafting Could Impact

The Browns are set at the top of the position group with Amari Cooper, Elijah Moore, Jerry Jeudy, and Cedric Tillman, so that would leave third-year receiver David Bell as the likely odd man out if the Browns were to eye a wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Priority

Low to medium: The Browns can get by for another season with their current group of wide receivers, but decisions are looming on the horizon. Amari Cooper’s contract can be voided after the upcoming season with a $7.5 million cap hit, and Elijah Moore is entering the final year of his contract. General manager Andrew Berry will need to work all that out in due time, so it comes down to whether he wants to add to the position this year or wait until 2025 to see if there are better options in the draft.