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2020 NFL Draft: Investigating the recent Isaiah Wilson hype by using a projection-based approach

Here at PFF, we like to be the “what” and the “so what?” of football. In striving for the latter, it’s important for us to weigh in on news when we see it. On Monday, our friend Daniel Jeremiah reported that at least a couple of general managers currently viewed Georgia offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson as a first-round prospect.

The second-best tackle prospect out of Georgia, the mammoth Wilson is 6-foot-7 and weighs roughly 350 pounds. Despite this, he proved to be pretty nimble at the 2020 NFL Scouting Combine by running the short shuttle in just over five seconds and posting a 29-inch vertical jump.

Wilson earned an 84.6 pass-blocking grade during his final year for the SEC runner-up Bulldogs, and he allowed just nine total pressures against some elite competition. As a run-blocker, he’s graded out as a 78.5 and a 76.2 in two seasons, which is solid but not as dominant as you would want from a right tackle.

Using our college-to-pro projection system — which is powered by AWS machine learning capabilities — we take a look at Wilson’s projections. His impressive performance at the combine will certainly factor in, as will his near-1,600 snaps against elite competition.

[Editor’s note: Check out PFF’s 2020 Mock Draft Hub, NFL Draft Big Board and NFL Mock Draft Simulator. PFF Elite subscribers can also download the 1,100-page 2020 NFL Draft Guide.]

How Wilson Projects as a Pass-Blocker

Wilson projects as a top-five player in his class in terms of winning in the passing game, with statistical comps like the newly signed Jack Conklin and recent high draft pick Brian O’Neill.

Isaiah Wilson’s projected win rate and pressure rate allowed during his rookie contract in a context-free environment. Vertical lines are the league-average rates for tackles during their first five seasons from 2015-19.

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