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2019 NFL Draft: April’s fools gold

By Ryan Roberts

STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 06: Johnathan Abram #38 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs celebrates during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
STARKVILLE, MS - OCTOBER 06: Johnathan Abram #38 of the Mississippi State Bulldogs celebrates during the second half against the Auburn Tigers at Davis Wade Stadium on October 6, 2018 in Starkville, Mississippi. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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Philadelphia Eagles
NEW ORLEANS, LA – JANUARY 01: Mack Wilson #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts in the first quarter of the AllState Sugar Bowl against the Clemson Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 1, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama

How lovely it is to reminisce on past Twitter battles on the subject of who was the better linebacker prospect: Mack Wilson or Devin White? I, of course, had always supported the latter. The Mack Wilson hive has since died down to a major degree, barely hearing an inkling of his name these days.

Wilson has a gifted feel for pass coverage, consistently flashing great eyes and drops to proper depth. Even in the present day pass happy NFL, linebacker remains a run first player with having exceptional pass coverage ability, being an added bonus.

There is a lack of physicality from Wilson in his run fills, which show up even in the angles he takes. He will often attempt to overcompensate in contrast to the blocker in order to avoid contact, or attempt to shoot a gap underneath a blocker, which causes running lanes to open up both front and back side.

Even when Wilson fills correctly to make contact, he shows an inability to consistently stack and shed blockers. There are times where Wilson is able to line up defenders in the open field and deliver solid-to-good hip drive through contact. However, there are many instances where he stops his feet at the point of contact/no return, causing him to miss constantly in space.

Aside from his savvy in coverage, Wilson’s supposed top shelf athleticism still had evaluators holding out hope. After barely participating in the 2019 NFL Scouting Combine, the Alabama Football Pro Day represented an important day for Wilson’s NFL evaluation. Wilson failed to excite like many had envisioned (4.7-secon 40 time, 10-1 broad jump, 33-inch vertical).

In the end, Wilson is not near the athlete portrayed during his time in Tuscaloosa. He is still a safe bet to make an impact in the NFL down the line, specifically on passing downs, but he is a far way away from being more than a situational football player right now.

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