Marco Wilson

20 Jul Preseason Scouting Notes: Marco Wilson, CB, Florida

Posted at 13:00h in 2020 Scouting Reports by
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Redshirt Junior | 6’0” | 190 lbs | Fort Lauderdale, FL | Freshman All-SEC

 

Athleticism:

Marco Wilson has good athletic ability for the position with the foot speed, change of direction ability, and lateral agility to stay with receivers. He has good balance to recover and acceleration to break on the ball effectively.

Man Coverage:

Wilson was used primarily in man coverage at Florida last season, and it is an area where he performed well. In press, he quickly engages his hands and turns his hips to run with the receiver while aggressively leveraging towards the sideline. He has the foot speed to stay on the receiver’s hip and the timing and acceleration to make a play on the ball. Tends to turn his hips too early, leaving him vulnerable to inside counters though he has the speed and change of direction ability to recover.

He shows good discipline in off man, not falling for deceptive moves and backpedaling to protect his leverage. Quick reaction on breaks allow him to trail his man well and narrow passing windows though he can be flat footed defending underneath routes.

Zone Coverage:

Communication skills and instincts allow him to be successful in zone coverage. Pre-snap he communicates checks and adjustments well with the rest of the secondary. In coverage, he passes off receivers well and can feel the routes while watching the eyes of the QB.

He anticipates breaks well and has good closing speed and aggressiveness to make a play on the ball. His tracking ability and range allow him to come up with INTs with good ball skills. He can concentrate too much on the QB’s eyes and be looked off, but is generally proficient as a zone defender.

Against the Run:

Quick to come up and stop the run when in zone coverage, with good motor and aggressiveness to meet the back in the hole, break down, and make the tackle. He can be driven out of the play by TE or OL due to his lack of play strength but is generally patient on the edge to force the runner back inside. Lunging when attempting to tackle bigger ballcarriers leaves him susceptible to juke moves, though he breaks down well in the open field.

Injury History:

2018 – Torn left ACL (Week 2), season ending. Also tore his ACL in high school, missing his junior season

Overall:

Wilson is a rangy, physical CB who fits best as a man defender where he can use his foot speed, hip fluidity, and break timing to be effective. He has the range and instincts to play deep zone coverage as well. His flat-footedness underneath and lack of elite run defense skills would not make him a fit as a Cover 2 corner.

Projection:

Wilson’s range and instincts make him an intriguing prospect, but his vulnerability inside and underneath will drop him on many teams’ boards. He is also a potential injury concern after suffering two torn ACLs thus far in his career. Look for him to go in the mid-3rd to 4th round.

What to watch 2020:

With the departure of top 10 pick CJ Henderson, how will Wilson adapt to being the #1 corner for the Gator defense? Performing well against opponents’ top WR such as LSU’s Ja’Marr Chase will go a long way towards helping his draft stock.

 

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