NewsBot
New Member
- Messages
- 111,281
- Reaction score
- 2,947
In the fourth round, the Cowboys selected a versatile linebacker who will play a big role on special teams. Sound familiar? It should, because the Cowboys did exactly that a year ago with Anthony Hitchens and continued that trend by selecting Minnesota's Damien Wilson.
Wilson has an interesting story as to how he ended up getting here, via Dane Brugler of CBS Sports:
A no-star defensive end recruit out of high school, Wilson started his career at Alcorn State and was one of the top FCS freshman pass rushers, but wanted to play at the FBS level.
After a season at Jones County Community College, he transferred to Minnesota and became a starter in 2013 as a junior, recording 79 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack. Wilson started 12 games in 2014 as a senior and led the team with 119 tackles, adding 10.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks and one forced fumble, earning Second Team All-Big Ten honors. He earned an invitation to the 2015 NFLPA Collegiate Bowl.
Wilson is a player who had to work for everything he has received, and you can see that on the football field. He is a tough player who gives full effort on every single play.
While Wilson isn't very athletic, he has other physical abilities he uses to advantage on a consistent basis. At 6'0" and 245 pounds with 33.75-inch arms, Wilson has the ability to press blockers off his body similar to a defensive end.
This length allows Wilson to stack and shed blockers much better than most college linebackers can. Just like any linebacker, Wilson can get overwhelmed at the point of attack when he doesn't set his base or have his body in alignment, but that is easily fixable. He also struggles getting rid of blocks when he isn't coming downhill, which is common among college linebackers.
What makes Wilson a great pick is that he has exceptional instincts for the position. He reads his keys extremely well and gets downhill fast. He doesn't take false steps and can meet ball-carriers in the hole exceedingly well.
Wilson's aggressiveness is both a positive and a negative. It can lead to him making a play in the backfield or it can lead to him overrunning a play and allowing a big gain.
In pass coverage, Wilson is much better at dropping to a specific spot than he is when he has to drop to an area and pattern matching a running back or tight end.
What likely intrigues the Cowboys coaching staff the most in regards to Wilson is his position versatility. He can line up and play all three linebacker positions. He has the size and block-shedding ability to play "Sam" linebacker. He has the instincts and temperament to play "Mike" linebacker, and he can flow to the ball and pursue well enough to play at the "Will" linebacker position.
Wilson will likely play an integral part on special teams for the Cowboys, as he is a reserve linebacker who plays multiple spots on the Cowboys defense.
Read more Dallas Cowboys news on BleacherReport.com
Continue reading...