The Arizona Cardinals are very excited about their fourth-round pick, cornerback Marco Wilson. General manager Steve Keim and head coach Kliff Kingsbury called him the biggest steal of their draft class.
With a Day 3 pick, they see a potential starter who can play both outside and inside, something that is getting harder to find now.
They believe he has a very high ceiling but needs to shore some things up.
Arizona’s cornerbacks coach, Greg Williams, appeared on the Big Red Rage and discussed what he sees in Wilson.
“We thought right away, V.J. (defensive coordinator Vance Joseph), myself and (defensive backs coach) Marcus Robertson, as we watched him, we knew he had talent,” Williams explained. “He had the skillset just like some of the elite corners that went early in the draft.”
So what is Wilson lacking?
“It’s just a matter of getting consistent and we think he has that in him.”
Wilson recognizes this as well.
“I feel like I do a lot of things great and I’m hoping that these coaches here can find the things I don’t do as well and I can focus on those things so I can ven the best cornerback I can be,” he told reporters last week.
He is glad where he landed.
“The most important part was getting in the right system for me and getting around the right coaching,” he said. “That’s exactly what I got here at Arizona, so I’m super happy about it.”
Wilson could end up being a starter or rotational player as a rookie. That almost always brings growing pains.
But Wilson has the size, the strength and the elite athleticism you want in a cornerback. He played in the SEC and faced top competition. He was only the fourth freshman cornerback to start opening weekend.
He has torn two ACLs but has bounced back from them and still is one of the most athletic players from the draft.
He also comes with the requisite confidence for a cornerback.
“Marco is going to come in and I don’t believe it’s going to be too big for him at all,” Williams said. “He’s got a nice, quiet confidence in himself.”
Williams was with the Indianapolis Colts when they drafted Wilson’s brother, Quincy. Williams is still friends with him. He knows the work ethic and the family.
If the coaching sticks and Wilson’s inconsistencies are ironed out, Arizona could have a gem of a draft pick.
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