Logan Wilson Roster Profile
Logan Wilson was drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals with the first pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Wilson, played his college football at Wyoming, where he contributed for four years.
In this series we will examine:
- Wilson’s prospect profile from our Head of College and NFL Content Simon Carroll.
- his productivity in college.
- his potential opportunities in the NFL in the upcoming season.
Prospect Profile
PRO’S: Well-balanced linebacker who is effective against both the run and the pass. Keys on to the offense’s intentions quickly. Has a captain’s mentality and is a good communicator pre-snap, getting his teammates aligned and ready for what is about to come. Has a good, sturdy frame that aids him well against the run – he’s stout at the point of contact and knows how to get rid of a block and get to the football. Awesome tackler – wraps up anything in his postcode. Production throught he roof at Wyoming – over 400 tackles, 14 pass breakups and 10 interceptions. Football smarts make him dangerous in zone coverage, particularly shallow zones. Has enough athleticism to compete in man coverage with consistency.
CON’S: Over-exuberant. Is so keen to get to the play he can sometimes fail to contain the backside and allow the ball carrier to juke behind him. Sometimes shows a lack of patience, particularly when engaged – he sheds and hits his gap too early, giving the running back an easy decision. Eagerness sees him susceptible to misdirection. Athleticism is average but he’ll never have elite sideline to sideline speed, and he may struggle to chase down from the backside as a will linebacker.
SIMON CARROLL: “I’m just gonna go ahead and say it – if Logan Wilson played for a Power 5 team he’d be a guaranteed day two pick in this draft. He has a balanced skillset that with some polish could see him become a three-down linebacker at the next level – not many other prospects in this position group can say that. To me he’s a high-upside pick on day three that will have a healthy professional career”.
NFL COMPARISON: JORDAN HICKS
College Stats
Opportunities at the next level
One of the Bengals’ biggest needs this offseason was to fill out their linebacker corps. Having failed to properly address the area in free agency it was all or nothing in the draft. Although they didn’t find a solution early in the draft they took three swings in their final five picks.
Their first shot was Logan Wilson out of Wyoming. The third round pick is a versatile piece, having arrived into college as a safety. As Simon points out in his scouting report Wilson is an all round linebacker. His tackling and coverage ability make him ideal for the modern game.
It is in stark contrast to the ‘backers that filled the roster for the Bengals last year. Hometown signing Preston Brown was a thumper whose athletic limitations were clear. Meanwhile, Nick Vigil never developed into the full-time starter he showed the promise to be.
The current roster was fairly threadbare with last year’s third round pick Germaine Pratt the only surefire starter. Pratt came on late in the season, but head coach Zac Taylor felt the need to overhaul the rest of the unit. The addition of Josh Bynes adds a veteran presence in the meeting room.
So where does Wilson fit in? His athleticism gives him a shot at one of the nickel formation linebacker spots early on. You would imagine a good training camp could see him fill in the spot left by Nick Vigil. His main competition currently looks to be Shawn Williams.
The addition of Vonn Bell at safety means that Williams may be used more in the box. The Bengals could be reluctant to give Wilson too much early action having seen the struggles Pratt faced in year 1. However, if NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah’s prediction that Wilson may be the ‘steal of the draft’ comes true, it would be difficult to hold him back.
Rory-Joe Daniels
Cfb contributor
formerly writing for the inside zone, rory will be breaking down college tape and keeping you up-to-date with all things CFB for the touchdown. an avid bengals fan, you can also find some of rory’s work at stripehype.com