Eagles WR Johnny Wilson reflects on ‘up-and-down’ rookie season and blocking for Saquon Barkley

On the ninth Eagles play from scrimmage Sunday against the Steelers, the Eagles ran a shotgun handoff to Saquon Barkley with Jordan Mailata and Landon Dickerson pulling from the left side of the offensive line to the right.

They had observed Steelers edge rusher Alex Highsmith on film and expected him to stay where he was, but Highsmith read the play quickly and followed Mailata closely. It left Eagles rookie receiver Johnny Wilson — who on this play and a few others Sunday was lined up in the tight end spot — as the last line of defense between Highsmith and Barkley.

“Johnny just tried his best to toss him out of the club,” Mailata said. “That’s a hard block for him, and I thought he still did a decent job to try to block him.”

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Decent, sure, but not enough to stop Highsmith and linebacker Patrick Queen teaming up for a two-yard loss.

It was in a way emblematic of what this season has been for Wilson, the 6-foot-7 sixth-round pick from Florida State who is learning on the job and being asked to block more often than catch the football.

Wilson caught 84 passes in 23 games during his junior and senior seasons in college with seven touchdowns and 1,514 receiving yards. He has just two catches and 10 targets on 273 offensive snaps in 13 games. Save for his lone touchdown catch in Dallas, his rookie highlight film is filled with blocks and a few dropped passes.

“It’s been up-and-down since the season started,” Wilson said. “But it’s been really fun.”

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His primary role this season has been a blocker. With the likes of A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Jahan Dotson ahead of him on the pass-catcher chart, it only made sense. The Eagles have aligned Wilson, the tallest receiver in the NFL, in the spot of the tight end in multiple games and a few times in the backfield. He was the primary pusher on Jalen Hurts’ Tush Push touchdown that gave the Eagles a two-score lead Sunday.

That play early against the Steelers where Wilson wasn’t able to successfully stop Highsmith was fixed on the next drive, when the Eagles used a same look on a passing play with Wilson and Jurgens sealing the edge and knocking Highsmith to the ground, allowing Hurts to move to his left and find Brown for a first down.

During Barkley’s record-setting outing in Los Angeles on Nov. 24, Wilson had one of his highest-graded run-blocking performances of the season, according to Pro Football Focus. Like with route-running and catching, he has struggled at times, but he has graded higher in run-blocking than Goedert and No. 2 tight end Grant Calcaterra, according to PFF.

“There are plays I know that, ‘OK, I definitely contributed a little bit to that,’” Wilson said. “I take pride in that.”

Wilson said Barkley is “the best running back I’ve ever seen in my life. … Anything can happen. That’s why you have to do your job. He can turn nothing into something.”

Wilson said he’s enjoying his rookie season despite the inconsistencies. He spent some time before training camp with Hurts and other teammates working out in Florida. He has been learning for the last six months or so about his position from two of the best in the NFL, Brown and Smith.

“I’m used to being one of the top two guys on the perimeter,” Wilson said. “Coming here, things change. It’s a different situation for me, but being here is a blessing. Every play I’m in there, I just try to make the most out of whatever I’m doing. If I’m not catching the ball a lot, I’m going to go out there and try to physically assault somebody. That’s fun for me. I’m going to have fun one way or another.”

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Brown, who sat out Wednesday’s walk-through with what was labeled as just rest, was limited Thursday with what the team listed as “knee/rest.” Brown did not talk to reporters after practice Thursday.

Three other Eagles were limited Thursday: safety Sydney Brown (concussion), Dickerson (knee/rest), and edge rusher Bryce Huff (wrist).

The remaining Eagles from Wednesday’s injury report, most of whom were given rest days, were all full participants Thursday.

The Eagles play in Week 16 against the Washington Commanders. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from Northwest Stadium.