NFL Draft
11/20/24
6 min read
Tez Johnson 2025 NFL Draft: Scouting Report For Oregon Ducks WR
Height: 5100 (unofficial)
Weight: 160 (unofficial)
Year: Fifth-Year Senior
Pro Comparison: Tank Dell
Scouting Overview
Oregon Ducks wide receiver Tez Johnson is an electric offensive weapon who can make an impact from the slot at the NFL level. Johnson has the quickness, agility, and open-field speed to turn routine catches underneath into big plays in the passing game. He also offers some ancillary value as a returner to help boost his value as a depth receiver in the room.
Johnson does not project favorably to the perimeter, where he figures to catch more contact in the early contact window and would have his route releases disrupted by aggressive coverages. He showcases good open-field vision and an initial burst out of the catch point. He offers enough versatility as a route runner to create shallow separation over the middle of the field. This isn’t a high-volume target, but he projects as a potential high-return-on-investment per target player.
2025 NFL Combine Results
TBD
Positives
- Short-area agility makes him incredibly difficult to contain with the ball in his hands
- Despite low utilization in the vertical plane at Oregon, he has the linear speed to threaten over the top and stretch the field
- Offers special teams contributions as a prominent punt returner for the Ducks the past two seasons
Negatives
- Small catch radius due to frame that requires higher levels of accuracy to optimize his targets
- Stature is diminutive and offers restrictions in his impact in the run game and ability to win on the perimeter as a pass target
- Run after catch upside is somewhat mitigated by failure to play through soft contact
Background
Johnson is from Pinson, AL, and played high school football for Pinson Valley HS. Johnson endured a difficult childhood and, at the age of 15, was adopted by the family of Denver Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix. Pat Nix, Bo’s father, was the high school football coach at Pinson Valley HS, and Johnson went on to play for the program and help forge a strong resume as a college recruit.
Johnson was ranked as a 3-star recruit (247 Sports) and received offers from regional programs like Western Kentucky, Middle Tennessee State, Arkansas State, and Troy.
Johnson enrolled at Troy and played the first three years of his college career for the Trojans, including a true freshman season in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic during his free year of eligibility. Johnson became a starter as a second-year freshman in 2021. He became a multi-tool weapon on offense and special teams, receiving some schemed touches as a runner and working on special teams in addition to his role at wide receiver.
Johnson would enter the transfer portal after the 2022 college season and three years with Troy, reuniting with his high school quarterback and adoptive brother Bo Nix at Oregon. He posted 86 receptions for 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns in his first season with the Ducks in 2023 and returned as a featured playmaker for the 2024 season.
He accepted an invitation to the 2025 Reese’s Senior Bowl in November of 2024.
Tale Of The Tape
Tez Johnson is, to borrow the phrase from Jim Ross, “quicker than a hiccup.” This is a twitchy athlete with rapid feet and great bounce, making it difficult to contain him in close quarters and harder to get lined up with open-field angles after the catch. Johnson has been a featured part of multiple offenses at the college level, and his skills have been universally effective whether he’s playing with his brother at quarterback, in the Sun Belt Conference, or with a national powerhouse like Oregon.
Johnson has schemed around for the Ducks during the last two seasons. They’ll put him in the backfield and allow him to release off the vapor trails of another eligible for free access; they’ll shift him and leave him offset and play as the split flow receiver on play action passes, or they’ll put him in the slot off the line of scrimmage and charge him with running a variety of routes.
Johnson has taken meaningful volume running shallow crosses, hitches, out routes, wide receiver screens from trips, and diamond formations in 4x1 and slant patterns during his time at Oregon. The average depth of target in the Ducks offense is not necessarily indicative of his speed or separation ability.
That said, his success rate in 2024 on vertical attempts is much less appealing than his work underneath near the line of scrimmage or over the middle of the field. Despite his stature, this is where he should predominantly be given opportunities to work. Because of his frame and physicality, defenders who can recover and challenge him downfield at the catch point will make life harder for Johnson.
He doesn’t have a great body of work when facing physical coverage at the catch point. He also doesn’t have the longest wingspan or reach, so his margin for securing catches is somewhat limited, and he’ll need good chemistry and placement with his quarterback to ensure he does not have to body-catch throws.
Johnson won't be a viable asset in the run game, and on run reps, he’s likely going to need to play vertical lift or be put on the backside away from the run. He simply lacks the mass and sustained ability to set blocks that will be needed to be an asset on the front side. This physicality element likely limits him in more ways than just the run game/
I would be surprised if he took a great deal of snaps on the line of scrimmage. He can be put in motion to take snaps as the No. 1 to the field or boundary, but static releases will expose him to a lot of potential disruption by plus athletes with length playing on the outside in the NFL.
I appreciate his effort. He showcased great strain on a pick-6 by Dillon Gabriel in the red zone against UCLA in 2024—he was on the ground on the goal line and got up to chase the defender a full 100 yards despite being 15 yards behind the play.
Those kinds of reps, plus his work with the ball in his hands as a creative and impactful run-after-catch player, illustrate good enthusiasm for making a play.
Ideal Scheme Fit, Role
Tez Johnson projects as a starting slot receiver in the NFL. He has the quickness and agility to win at the top of the stem and should be afforded the opportunity to run choice routes with space in order to fully maximize his traits.
He can run fades from the slot, but this isn’t necessarily a big-play vertical receiver. His separation would be valued in timing-based offenses that can deliver the ball in first windows with accuracy. His ability to play special teams gives him an obvious boost and roster ability as he develops his route running and release packages at the pro level.
Grade: 73.50/100.00, Fourth Round Value
Big Board Rank: TBD
Position Rank: TBD
