At one time, Mack Wilson was considered a potential first-round NFL draft pick. But after the former Alabama linebacker left Tuscaloosa a year early, he didn’t hear his name called until the fifth round of the 2019 draft.
That draft day fall didn’t stop Wilson from being a rookie producer for the Cleveland Browns, who drafted him No. 155 overall, however.
The Montgomery (Ala.) native started 14 of a possible 16 games for the Browns, accumulating 82 total tackles, one sack, one interception, one forced fumble and seven pass deflections.
Sure, there were some inconsistencies to Wilson’s game, but there were also flashes of what once made him a highly-coveted high school player and projected first-round pick.
Now going into his second season in the NFL, Wilson is expected to take on a much larger role with Cleveland, especially now that Joe Schobert and Christian Kirksey are in Jacksonville and Green Bay, respectively.
The 22-year old Wilson was recently included in a video series the Browns put out called “Working From Home”, and there, he talked about his expanded role. Check out the video of the interview below:
For those who are unable to watch the interview, here is a summary of what Wilson had to say:
“I feel like they left me with a lot of knowledge. I learned a lot from them, and I feel like I want to build off that this year. Kind of try to be the guy in the linebacker room, as far as my experience, and as far as knowing what it takes to be able to produce on the field. I just feel like it’s going to be some big shoes to fill, but I’m ready for it. I’ve prepared my whole life for this. We’re just going to see how it goes.”
There was major growth and development for Wilson as a rookie, and the hope is that he can continue to emerge as one of the league’s top young linebackers.
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