Rookie Spotlight: Tez Johnson, Oregon

Height: 5-10
Weight: 165
Hands:
Arm:
2025 Age: 23 – (5/18/02)

NFL Play-Style Comparison: Xavier Worthy x Troy Franklin
Draft Grade: 2nd Round
Projected 40: 4.30-4.32
Breakout Age: 19 (RS Freshman)

 

Offensive Market Share Metrics (Final Season)

Receptions: 25%
Receiving Yards: 24%
Receiving TDs: 36%

High School: Pinson Valley HS (Pinson, Alabama)
As a high school prospect: Class of 2020; 2-star (5.4)
Honors: All-Sun Belt in 2022, All-Pac 12 Second Team in 2023, and All-Big Ten Second Team in 2024
College Attended: Oregon, Troy

 

Pros
– Expansive route tree with a good chunk of work from the backfield in 2024

– A massive part of Johnson’s game is around the LOS, jet-motion, bubble screen, flat routes, etc due to his quick accelerator.

– Tez has an ability to just get up and go almost out of the blue, he will run a half dozen shallow or behind the LOS routes before disappearing downfield and reappearing with the football.

– 4th most Yards After Catch in College Football among qualifiers (586, 7.6 per reception)

– Eight 100-yard games in the last 17 games at Oregon.

–  Short area elusivity and burst are top notch

– returned 33 punts averaging 10.5 per with 1 touchdown.

– Creative instincts with the ball in his hands to develop into game-changing plays

– Willing blocker that will occasionally whiff in the open field.

 

Cons

– Frame lacks girth needed to be considered a true No.1 receiving threat at the next level

– Lacks history of contested catch situations, given his size and play style, I’d lean on the shallow side of success.

– 79% of snaps came in the slot in 2024, down from 93%. 51 total snaps lined up outside.

– 23 career drops, 11 during the last two seasons at Oregon (198 targets)

– Occasionally gets a little hot over his toes while trying to create in-space

 

Highlight/Film

Scouting Notes:

As a consensus three-star recruit in high school, Tez had a rough upbringing, spending time in government-subsidized housing in Alabama, Johnson attended Pinson HS, where he was coached by Patrick Nix and played with former Oregon Duck and now Denver Bronco Quarterback Bo Nix. At the age of 15, Johnson was adopted by the Nix family. After High School, Nix and Johnson weren’t sure they’d ever play football together again, Nix headed to Auburn in 2019, and a year later Johnson to Troy University. After three seasons at Auburn, Nix transferred to Oregon where Tez would join him a year later. In two seasons at Oregon, Johnson has 164 receptions, 2,048 yards, and 20 touchdowns while helping Oregon get back to College Football Playoff for the first time since 2014. During his college career, Johnson has yet to capture a first-team all-conference honor despite playing in the Sun Belt, Pac 12, and now Big Ten, where he has been everything from Honorable Mention to Second Team. Johnson’s attitude on the football field can be defined by one word, Lethal. For a stretch of 5-10 plays, Johnson may be utilized as a decoy flying across the formation, exiting the backfield or simply staying put out wide as a faux-screen counter unfolds, but after you are lulled to sleep, Johnson exhibits game-changing speed to take the top off of the defense and fly past elite defenders like (Denzel Burke, Ohio State), for six. Oddly enough in the YAC (yards after catch) department, Johnson is ELITE – finishing 3rd in college football with 586 yards after the catch, he forced more than 1 missed tackle in a game just three times in 2024.

Fantasy Outlook:

On a game-by-game basis in College, Tez Johnson was able to compete with professional or soon-to-be professional wide receivers Troy Franklin, Evan Stewart, and Traeshon Holden, weekly. Johnson finished with 7+ targets in 17 of 20 games at Oregon. Proving you can earn targets in college is not as impressive as the pros, especially when you watch the tape and see a good chunk of plays schemed behind the LOS. I do believe Johnson can be utilized like Xavier Worthy (WR37) has throughout his rookie campaign with perhaps a ceiling like Jayden Reed in Green Bay. Reed as a rookie compiled 94 targets and 11 rush attempts on his way to a WR18 finish on the season. His frame does pose worry at the NFL level for season-long longevity, however we do need to remember our former Senior Bowl Darling, Tank Dell (WR 39 as a rookie at 5-8 163 lbs)

Cody Carpentier