If you’ve watched a single Oregon Ducks game over the last two seasons, you’ve seen it. A blur in a green jersey catching a bubble screen, making three guys miss in a space no bigger than a phone booth, and then teleporting fifteen yards downfield. That’s Tez Johnson.
The draft community is currently tearing its hair out over him. On one hand, you have a guy who produced nearly 4,000 receiving yards in his college career. On the other, you have a player who weighs about as much as a high school cross-country runner.
Drafting a 154-pound receiver in the NFL used to be a fireable offense for a General Manager. But then Tank Dell happened. Then Zay Flowers happened. Now, the Tez Johnson scouting report is the most debated document in front offices from Philly to Seattle. Is he a fragile gadget player or the next great slot weapon? Let’s get into the weeds.
The Physical Elephant in the Room
We have to start with the size because it’s the first thing scouts mention. Johnson measured in at roughly 5'9 7/8" and 154 pounds. In the 2025 pre-draft process, that put him in the 0th percentile for weight. Basically, he’s one of the lightest wide receivers to ever enter the league with a serious draft grade.
But here’s the thing: he doesn’t play "small" in the way you’d think. He doesn't shy away from the middle of the field. He’s incredibly tough. He was adopted by the family of Bo Nix (the Broncos' QB), and that competitive, chip-on-the-shoulder energy is basically his entire personality.
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Still, the lack of bulk matters. When a physical corner like Sauce Gardner or Jaylon Johnson gets their hands on a guy this size at the line of scrimmage, the play is usually over. If Tez can’t win with his release, he can’t win at all. He’s not going to out-muscle anyone for a 50/50 ball.
Why the Tez Johnson Scouting Report Has Scouts Salivating
If he’s so small, why is he projected as a Day 2 pick? It’s the movement. Johnson’s 3-cone drill—a measure of lateral agility—was a blistering 6.65 seconds. That is elite. He’s not just fast; he’s "sudden."
1. The "Basketball on Turf" Release
Tez treats the line of scrimmage like a point guard trying to break an ankle. He uses a series of "foot-fire" releases and head fakes that make defenders freeze. Because he’s so low to the ground, his center of gravity allows him to stop and start faster than a 6'2" corner can react.
2. The Mental Game
In Dan Lanning’s offense, Johnson was asked to run a ton of option routes. This means he has to read the defender’s leverage in real-time. If the DB is playing outside-in, Tez snaps it across his face. If they’re playing off, he sits in the hole. He’s basically a coach on the field. This high football IQ is why he was Dillon Gabriel’s favorite target in 2024, leading the team with 10 touchdowns despite missing time with a shoulder injury.
3. Punt Return Utility
In the NFL, your 4th or 5th receiver has to play special teams. Tez is a natural. He’s fearless as a returner and has the vision to find lanes that aren't there. He’s a "plus" contributor the moment he walks into a facility.
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The Red Flags: It’s Not Just Weight
Honestly, the weight is just the start. If you dig into the Tez Johnson scouting report, you’ll find a few other concerns that keep coaches up at night.
- Catch Radius: With 29-inch arms, his wingspan is tiny. If the ball isn’t put right on his frame, he struggles to adjust. He’s a "body catcher" more often than you'd like to see, which leads to occasional drops when he’s worried about incoming contact.
- Durability: We saw this in 2024. He suffered a shoulder injury against Michigan and was seen in a sling. Later, in the Rose Bowl against Penn State, he had to leave the game again. For a guy his size, every hit from an NFL linebacker is a car crash.
- The "Slot Only" Label: You aren't putting Tez Johnson at X-receiver and asking him to beat a press-man corner on the boundary. He is almost exclusively a slot player. That limits his value to certain schemes.
The Pro Comp: Who is he, really?
The name you’ll hear a thousand times is Tank Dell. It’s the easiest comparison because they share the same slender build and "wiggle." However, some scouts actually see a bit of Tutu Atwell or Josh Downs in him.
Unlike Atwell, who is mostly a deep threat, Johnson is a volume-heavy chain mover. He’s the guy you throw to on 3rd and 4 when you absolutely need a first down. He’s a "paper cut" receiver—he won’t kill you with one 80-yard bomb, but he’ll bleed you dry with ten 8-yard catches.
What Real Experts Are Saying
The consensus is shifting. A few years ago, Tez would have been a 6th-round flyer. In 2026, he’s looking like a solid 3rd-round pick.
Dylan Chappine of Wolf Sports recently noted that while the size is an outlier, the "lightning quickness" and "high character" make him a safe bet to at least be a productive rotational piece. Others point to his 2.93 Yards Per Route Run (YPRR)—a stat that measures efficiency—which was near the top of the entire 2025 draft class. That kind of efficiency doesn't happen by accident.
How He Fits into an NFL Offense
If a team like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers or Kansas City Chiefs grabs him, look out. He needs a creative play-caller who will use him in motion. You want to keep him moving before the snap so defenders can’t get a clean hit on him.
He’s perfect for a "West Coast" system that relies on quick, rhythmic throws. If he lands in a vertical-only offense where he’s expected to run clear-out routes all day, he’ll vanish. He needs the ball in his hands early so he can use that 1.53-second 10-yard split to make people miss.
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Actionable Insights for Evaluators
If you’re watching his tape to see if he’s the real deal, don’t look at the highlights. Look at the "boring" plays:
- Check his releases against press: Does he get erased when a DB gets a hand on his chest, or does he "slip" the contact?
- Watch the "dirty" yards: Is he willing to catch a slant when he knows a safety is coming to hit him? (The Michigan tape shows he is).
- Monitor the weight: If he can get up to a "playing weight" of 165-170 without losing his 4.51 speed, his stock hits the roof.
Tez Johnson is proof that the NFL is changing. It’s no longer a league of giants; it’s a league of space creators. And nobody creates space quite like the kid from Pinson, Alabama.
Next Steps for Deep Scouts:
- Compare his 10-yard split (1.53s) to other elite slot receivers like Zay Flowers to see how his "game speed" stacks up.
- Analyze the Oregon vs. Ohio State (2024) film specifically to see how he handled elite, NFL-caliber cornerbacks in high-pressure moments.