Big 12 Football: Each team’s top 2020 NFL Draft prospect
By Phil Poling
9. Wide Receiver. Senior. Collin Johnson. player. 851. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
Collin Johnson returned to Texas after an impressive 2018 campaign when he caught 68 passes for 985 yards and seven scores. His running mate at wide receiver, Lil’Jordan Humphrey, declared early and went undrafted, though; don’t expect the same end result for Johnson.
At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Johnson looks more like a tight end than a wide receiver. And this will pit him into two corners, but with his skill set, he should be able to adapt. The first thing everyone will expect of him is winning the 50/50 balls, which he did an excellent job of a season ago, in particular against West Virginia. The other thing is his route running. How many big guys run good routes? Will being big be enough at the next level? The answer is no.
Johnson will have ample opportunities to prove himself moving forward, though, especially with the increased targets he’ll receive in 2019. Plus, his quarterback is a year older, and the Longhorns are expecting, from themselves, big things.
If Johnson can propel the Longhorns to a Big 12 Championship berth, he’ll undoubtedly be in the conversation for best wide receiver in the 2020 NFL Draft. A so-so year coupled with a strong NFL Combine could even result in Johnson jumping up draft boards; think D.K. Metcalf but with actual on-field production.