10. Logan Wilson, Wyoming
Height: 6’2″ Weight: 241
40-Yard Dash: 4.63 seconds
Bench Press: 21 reps
Vertical Jump: 32 inches
Broad Jump: 10 feet 1 inch
3-Cone Drill: 7.07 seconds
20-Yard Shuttle: 4.27 seconds
60-Yard Shuttle: N/A
Bio: Logan Wilson wore many hats for Natrona County High School in Wyoming. He was named to the Wyoming Coaches Association Class 4A All-Star team as a defensive back and wide receiver in both 2013 and 2014. He was also an All-State punter for three seasons in high school. Despite this versatility, he was graded as a two-star recruit and had just one offer waiting for him: Wyoming.
Wilson took that offer and redshirted as a freshman, where he spent his time as a linebacker on the scout team. He stepped into the starting lineup as a redshirt freshman and has been a starter ever since for the Cowboys.
Stat to Know: Wilson played 3,618 career snaps at Wyoming. Those are Cal Ripken-esque numbers in today’s landscape.
Strengths: Wilson is another throwback type of linebacker, who does his best work down near the line of scrimmage against the run. But what also shows up both on film and in testing is his athleticism. He has the explosiveness and the straight-line speed to handle some of what the pro game will ask of him. Wyoming let him function in underneath zone coverage as well as relying on him as a blitzer, and he is good enough at applying pressure to be a pass rushing specialist linebacker early in his career. His experience allows him to be very patient and comfortable in underneath zone coverage, and he will pass off receivers at just the right time before moving to the next player. He will come downhill and lay a stick on a ball-carrier, and is a sure tackler.
This play against San Diego State ties together his patience, his experience and his ability to explode downhill:
Wilson does not panic as the play unfolds, he displays patience and route recognition before firing downhill and stopping this screen play behind the line of scrimmage. This combination of awareness and explosiveness works in the NFL, last I checked.
Weaknesses: Wilson does not change direction that well, his straight-line athleticism is more his calling card. Covering shiftier players or option-type routes will be more of an adjustment for him. Man coverage is a bit of a question mark, as Wyoming’s defense relied heavily on zone schemes with a lot of spot-dropping. As you saw in the above clip, Wilson was often able to keep his eyes trained on the QB and everything unfolding in front of him. More complex coverages, as well as man coverage designs, will require a bit of a learning curve.
Conclusion: With what he does against the run, and his experience, Wilson is going to be loved by some NFL decision-makers. He might be the Plan B for teams that are looking to target Kenneth Murray in this draft but miss out. He can be a force against the run and a weapon as a pass rusher/blitzer until he figures out the rest of the professional game.
Comparison: Wilson reminds me of Ja’Whaun Bentley, the former Purdue linebacker who now plays for the Patriots. Bentley was pigeon-holed as more of a two-down thumper, throwback type that might struggle in pass coverage. But the Patriots found a role for him and his straight-line athleticism has made him less of a liability in coverage than most expected. That is the path forward for Wilson.