2019 NFL Draft Prospects: Tight End - Caleb Wilson

The son of Philadelphia Eagles defensive line coach Phillip Daniels, Caleb Wilson was a dual-threat quarterback/wide receiver out of California in high school. He originally committed as a QB at Old Dominion, but instead decided to walk on as a tight end at USC. Once his dad left the school, Wilson transferred to the Bruins, who offered him a scholarship.

After playing in all games as a reserve in year one, he broke out as a sophomore. Through five games he caught 38 passes for 390 yards, but was lost for the season when a Colorado defender rolled over his ankle. Last season he was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection with 60 grabs for almost 1000 yards and four touchdowns.

At 6’4”, 240 pounds, Wilson might be the most advanced route-runner at the position and nobody seems to recognize coverages the way he does. He understands leverage and how to exploit voids on the intermediate level, makes himself available in-between linebackers and presents his hands to the quarterback. Wilson gears down once he clears the underneath coverage to not let safeties enter the picture and he widens defenders in man before arm-overing them to gain the inside position.

Wilson has unbelievable hands. He can go to his back-shoulder as well as tracking the ball over his head, presenting a very safe target and a dynamic receiving threat for his quarterback. Wilson displays quickness out of his breaks and the flexibility to adjust to the placement of the ball. He has that little shake at the top of his routes, which makes defenders stop their feet and they end up looking like they are stuck in the stand.

Wilson’s signature game came in week one of 2017, when he and Josh Rosen connected 15 times for 208 yards. He started taking advantage of the holes in the Aggies defense and then was matched with safety Armani Watts, who he exposed continuously in man-coverage to the post.

This young man is crafty after the catch, making defenders miss almost like a young Antonio Gates, and he is tough to bring down, consistently falling forward. Wilson has the speed to run away from people after the catch and when he has an angle on a defender, he uses his off-arm very well to keep him away from his body. He has a broad frame and is hard to get around as a blocker, whether that is sealing the backside or shielding someone at the second level downfield.

Wilson does a good job breaking down and putting hands on defenders in space. He was the nation’s top tight end according to Pro Football Focus, before going down with an injury in 2017. His numbers were astonishing in a limited sophomore campaign and even without Josh Rosen throwing him the ball last year, he still led all tight-ends with 965 receiving yards. 467 of them came after the catch and he made 42 grabs for first downs or touchdown. Wilson was also tied for the highest yards per route run among tight-ends available (2.56). I thought he also improved a lot in a limited role as a pass-protector in 2018.

With that being said, Wilson is really slow coming out of his tracks, as he needs to build up speed and runs too upright. That lack of explosiveness was on full display during the leaping events at the combine. His cuts aren’t very sharp and he rounds off some routes by not dropping his hips. Wilson won’t tower over defenders with that 29-inch vertical. He hasn’t been a frequent visitor in the opposing end-zone and his ability in the red-zone can be questioned. Wilson doesn’t really have the functional strength to sustain blocks against big defensive ends and outside linebackers, plus he plays too tall in space and allows defenders to get under his chest.

While there are some concerns about his explosiveness and he doesn’t show the power to be a consistent in-line blocker at the next level, Wilson to me is one of the most underrated prospects in this draft. Nobody in this class is even close to his proficiency in terms of understanding defenses and exploiting the holes in it. His hands are outstanding, he gets yardage after the catch and he plays within himself. You saw what he can do with a competent quarterback under center and he even excelled without a consistent passer last year.

Grade: Early Third