By Charlie Campbell
Weaknesses:
Summary: Wilson did not do much in 2020 and 2019, racking up 22 tackles and three sacks over that time, but he broke out with an impressive 2021 season. The junior recorded 37 tackles, seven sacks and a pass defended on the year. As a senior, Wilson totaled 61 tackles, one forced fumble and seven sacks. A Nov. 12 foot injury led him to miss the remainder of the season.
As a pass rusher, Wilson is a dangerous edge defender, and gives offensive tackles a lot of problems. The biggest strength that Wilson has is his length. With his long arms and wingspan, Wilson is superb at keeping offensive tackles away from his body, and they have a hard time getting into his chest to lock him up. With that space, Wilson uses his speed to get upfield, and he has the strength to break free from blocks. Wilson is not crazy fast off the edge, but he is quick and has good closing speed alongside a burst to eat up ground when he gets free.
Wilson’s strength and length translate into him being very effective on the bull rush. He can push offensive tackles backward into the pocket and then disengage to hit the quarterback. Wilson’s long arms and strength allow him to have an effective rip move to go along with the bull rush and speed around the edge.
In the ground game, Wilson is impressive. He shows an ability to hold his gap, fight off blocks, and make tackles at the point of attack. Wilson possesses the strength to get free of offensive line and the speed to make tackles outside of his gap. Wilson is a quality run defender entering the next level.
In the NFL, Wilson has the size to play end on base downs and move inside to rush over guards in the sub package. He shows the versatility to rush over offensive tackles, whether standing up or putting his hand in the ground. Thus, he could fit in a 3-4 or 4-3 defense.
Wilson looks poised to be a first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft and could go in the top half of Round 1.
Player Comparison: Montez Sweat. Some team sources said Wilson reminds them of Sweat, but Wilson is more physical against the run. Another team source called Wilson similar to Carlos Dunlap.
RELATED LINKS:
2023 NFL Mock Draft: Charlie’s | Walt’s
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