In the 2021 NFL Draft, the first former Texas high school football player drafted was Jaylen Waddle from Bellaire Episcopal. Waddle was projected by most NFL Draft experts to go somewhere between 8 and 15. He went earlier, at number 6 to the Miami Dolphins and was the second receiver drafted, behind Ja’Marr Chase.
The 2022 NFL Draft is shaping up to be more unpredictable than last year. This is especially true with the wide receivers in this draft class. If things fall in his favor, former Lake Travis standout, Garrett Wilson, from Ohio State, could find himself moving up the draft board like Jaylen Waddle did, and could go as high as #4.
Wilson had a standout career at Lake Travis. He won a State Championship and set school records for receptions, yards, and total touchdowns. At Ohio State, Wilson had to wait for his turn behind talented receivers, but he did make an impact in his opportunities his first two years.
Garret Wilson had 30 receptions in his freshmen year and averaged 14.4 yards per catch. As a sophomore, he had 43 receptions and averaged 16.8 yards per catch. This past year, he had 70 catches for 1,058 with 12 touchdowns and averaging 15.1 yards per catch.
We could see as many as 8 wide receivers drafted in the first round, but more likely 6. Of the Top 6 in the draft, they’ve all spent time as the projected top received picked by various outlets. Wilson has been in that mix, battling his Ohio State Buckeye teammate, Chris Olave, who Sporting News ranks as the top WR in the draft.
Most draft boards now project Garrett Wilson to go to the Atlanta Falcons at #8 as the first wide receiver taken. However, there are teams that prefer other wide receivers that could move up in the draft, Chris Olave, Jameson Williams, Drake London, and Treylon Burkes could all get taken as the top receiver. To add to the draft drama, it’s possible we see an early run on these receivers, but, if Quarterbacks like Willis and Picket move up the draft board along with a few of the projected mid-first-round offensive linemen, we could see a few of these wide receivers falling down late in the first round.
Wherever Wilson ends up, it looks like he will be a top 15 pick, and likely a top 10 pick.
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