Tez Johnson Film Breakdown

By: Michael Higgins

(Image courtesy of Eric Becker/On3ScoopDuck)

School: Oregon

Class: Senior

Position: WR

HT: 5’10

WT: 154 lbs

CLICK HERE TO WATCH MY TEZ JOHNSON FILM BREAKDOWN

Background: Tez Johnson has been an overlooked and undersized wide receiver his entire life. However, his production on the field has put his name on center stage for the draft. Johnson is originally from Pinson, Alabama and, as you may know, is the adopted brother of former Oregon and current Denver Broncos’ QB Bo Nix. Johnson played for Pinson Valley High School and was a 3-star receiver. Johnson helped lead Pinson Valley to a state championship as a junior, a year in which he was named an all-state selection. As a senior, he played in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. Johnson committed to Troy over Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State.

College: Tez finished his 2020 freshman season with 18 catches for 211 yards. In 2021, Tez started every game. He finished the season with 67 catches for 735 yards and 4 touchdowns. His numbers were good enough to earn him a spot on the All-Sun Belt Third Team. Johnson improved on those numbers with 56 catches for 863 yards and 4 touchdowns in 2022. He was an honorable mention selection in his final season with the Trojans. After transferring to Oregon to play with his brother, Bo, he broke the Oregon single-season reception record with 86 while having 1,182 yards and 10 touchdowns. Johnson missed a few games in 2024 but still managed to catch 77 passes for 796 yards and 9 touchdowns. He was a Second Team All-Big 10 selection in his final season in college.

Strengths: Tez Johnson is a wiry and twitchy slot receiver. He has functional speed and can create separation in a variety of ways. Johnson shows both short area quickness and straight-line speed. He is a threat to make a play in all three areas of the field. He is utilized in the flats and the screen game to allow him to make a play with the ball in his hands. Getting the ball in his hands in open space is always a positive for the offense. In the deep areas, he can take the top off of a defense and get behind the safeties in a flash on a go route. Johnson creates separation at the break of his route without telegraphing his breaks. His foot speed creates separation in the short areas on whip routes, hitches, and more. Johnson’s route tree has become quite extensive at Oregon due to his versatility as a pass catcher. Johnson provides upside as both a punt and kick returner. While he may take time to develop as an NFL offensive talent, he will be able to come into the league and be a return ace right away.

Weaknesses: Johnson’s size is his one glaring area of weakness. Every con that you will hear about Tez Johnson stems from his size. He weighed in as the lightest player in combine history at 154 lbs. While I do not think he will add substantial mass, getting up to 165 would be beneficial. Due to his lack of size, injuries are a huge concern. His playstyle prevents him from getting bullied by physical cornerbacks, but he will not be able to play on the boundary. Johnson will not be an effective run blocker either, he may need to come out on obvious running downs.

Conclusion: Tez Johnson can become a dynamic weapon who creates explosive plays for an offense. He can beat any defender with his foot speed and short area quickness. Johnson will be an NFL returner at the very least and will be viewed as a situational receiver until he can prove he is sturdy enough to be an every down wide receiver.

Scheme Fit: Scheme Versatile

Ideal Role: Slot Receiver

Best Team Fits: DEN, JAX, CAR

Player Comparison: Tank Dell

Player Grade: Round 2 (81.1)