Tez Johnson, Oregon: 2025 NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
Johnson was a three-star recruit from Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Ala. in the class of 2020
Oregon’s Tez Johnson breaks all of the NFL’s traditional size rules for a prospect, but his twitch and creativity after the catch rank among the best in the 2025 NFL Draft. Johnson deserves to hear his name called in the draft, but some teams likely won’t have him on their boards.
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Tez Johnson, WR Oregon: 2025 NFL Draft Profile
Classification: Fifth-year senior slot receiver from Pinson, Ala.
Background: Johnson was a three-star recruit from Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Ala. in the class of 2020. He was the No. 1,467 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 1,185 for On3.com. Johnson was an unranked two-star recruit for Rivals. He didn’t receive a star rating or grade out of 100 from ESPN. Johnson transferred from Troy to Oregon for the 2023 season. As a high school senior, he led Pinson Valley to the Alabama 6A semifinals after reaching the Alabama 6A State Championship as a junior. Johnson amassed 62 receptions for 1,140 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine games as a senior and earned an invitation to the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game. As a junior, he made 106 receptions for 1,457 yards and ten touchdowns and earned 6A First Team All-State honors. He’s the adopted younger brother of Denver Broncos 2024 first round pick and former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix. Johnson was born on May 18, 2002.
Injuries & Off-Field: Did not play in 2022 Alabama A&M game, missed two games in 2024 with a shoulder injury, exited the 2024 CFP game against Ohio State
Awards: 2021 Third Team All-Sun Belt, 2022 Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt, 2022 First Team All-Sun Belt (PFF), 2023 Honorable Mention All-Pac-12, 2023 Second Team All-Pac-12 (Associated Press), 2024 Second Team All-Big Ten (WR & Return Specialist), 2024 Big Ten Championship Game MVP
Pros: Impressive punt returner, experience working in the slot and some inside, twitchy, sudden and smooth mover, quick feet, natural separator, QB-friendly receiver, whip route, head and shoulder fakes, cuts on a dime mid-route, immediate juice off the line, speed on film outclasses testing numbers, threatens to stack corners out of press coverage, speed to overtake off-man coverage, field-stretcher, manipulates leverage with route stem, difficult to mirror at the top of the stem, short-area agility and cuts to separate at top of stem, excels at finding holes in zone, quick to get upfield after the reception, shifty and elusive in the open field, angle eraser with acceleration, avoids taking the big hits
Cons: Extremely undersized, lean frame might add injury concerns, testing and size outlier, slot-only option, arm length, heavy reliance on schemed touches, schemed and benefits from free releases, limited play strength and size to defeat press, re-routed by mid-route contact, concentration drops over the past several years, catch radius, crowded and beaten out at the catch point, struggles to break tackles
Overview: Johnson’s experience and success returning punts provide him with an immediate pathway to the field. He played in the slot and out wide in college but is a slot-only prospect because of his physical limitations. Johnson is a twitchy creator who executes sudden and snappy moves to generate separation as a route runner or leave would-be tacklers grasping at air. His smooth movement skills and quick feet complete an intriguing athletic profile that transcends the disappointing 40-time he posted in the pre-draft process. Johnson is a quarterback’s best friend because of his ability to naturally separate early in plays and provide a consistent target. He executes complex, sharp routes with no difficulty. Johnson deploys head and shoulder fakes and instantaneous cuts to defeat coverage. His burst off the line makes him a threat to stack press coverage and overtake off-man corners. The Alabama native stretched the field at Oregon but might be challenged to fill a similar role in the NFL. He stems his route to manipulate the defender’s leverage and create advantageous spacing. Defenders struggle to mirror Johnson at the top of his stem because of his elite short-area agility. The fifth-year prospect also excels at finding and sitting in holes in zone coverage. He quickly goes into creation mode after securing the catch. Johnson’s shiftiness and elusiveness in the open field rank among the best in the 2025 class. He’s a nightmare to tackle one-on-one in space. Additionally, his acceleration makes him a threat to erase pursuit angles and generate big plays. Johnson’s undersized frame comes with durability concerns, but he does a good job avoiding big hits and unnecessary contact. Johnson fails to meet even the most generous size thresholds. He’s short and thin with poor arm length and failed to erase concerns about his profile through the testing portion of the pre-draft process. Johnson relied heavily on schemed touches and free releases at Oregon. His next offense might not be willing to dedicate those resources to him. The All-Big Ten selection lacks the play strength to combat press coverage and is re-routed by mid-route contact. He dealt with concentration drops throughout his career and lacks the catch radius to contend with defenders in crowded air space. Johnson struggles to break tackle attempts.
Overall, Johnson is a unique, twitchy playmaker who creates easy offense and offers special teams upside. He’s a natural separator but lacks the size and play strength to contend with NFL physicality in a high-volume role. Teams would be justified grading him as a late Day 3 option based on his status as a historical outlier.
Role & Scheme Fit: Slot receiver in a West Coast offense
Round Projection: Fourth Round
Size: 5'9 7/8", 154 lbs. (NFL Combine)
Submitted: 12-13-24
Updated: 03-28-25