When it comes to the NFL Draft, the New Orleans Saints haven’t been afraid to take under-the-radar prospects. Whether it’s a player from a smaller school, or a guy that teams are afraid to select for some other reason, the Saints have shown they’ll take a chance on guys.
One guy the team could take a chance on in the 2025 Draft is wide receiver Tez Johnson. His small frame will scare a lot of NFL teams, but his electric abilities with the ball in his hands will also intrigue teams.
Should Saints take a chance on Tez Johnson?
Accolades: Oregon single season receptions leader
2024 stats: 82 receptions, 898 yards, 10 touchdowns, 604 yards after catch
Size: 5’9, 156 LBs
Projection: Third round
Tez Johnson is a twitchy, dynamic slot receiver who can win immediately off the line. Johnson is quick and can stop on a dime, making it challenging to stay with him in man coverage. His biggest limitation is his size; only being 156 pounds will make many teams wary about selecting him.
Johnson has been a matchup nightmare for opposing cornerbacks during the Senior Bowl. He has created separation with ease. The former Oregon Duck has surpassed all expectations for his performance. All that’s left is to see his production in the game itself.
Once the ball is snapped, Johnson launches off the line. It’s tough for receivers to get their hands on him due to his variety of releases. He excels at changing his speed to keep the defender off balanced. This makes it troublesome for any corner to guard him in man coverage.
Johnson is best when put in the slot, where he ran a majority of his routes from. This is perfect for the Saints as they brought in Cedrick Wilson Jr. to be that slot receiver last offseason, which hasn’t worked out well.
Johnson shines when given manufactured catches, either on a screen or a touch pass. He is a beast after the catch, as all it takes is one juke and he’s gone. He becomes exponentially more dangerous if he gets blockers in front of him. Every time he touches the ball he has a chance to go all the way.
Johnson is an amazing route runner in the short and intermediate areas. His suddenness and change of direction allow him to easily create separation. This makes him a reliable option in short yardage situations.
Only being 5’9, 156 pounds will scare some teams off. However, receivers of similar size to Johnson have thrived in the NFL. Just a couple of years ago Tank Dell came into the senior bowl being 5 '8, 163 pounds; we all know how productive he has been when on the field. Tez will still need to bulk up for him to remain consistently healthy but his size shouldn’t be a deal-breaker.
Tez Johnson is a dangerous slot receiver capable of breaking a game open after the catch. If a team can look past his frame they could be drafting a gem. New Orleans needs a slot receiver, they may have to look no further than the receiver out of Oregon.