3 Browns Players to Watch vs Steelers
2. Mack Wilson
This rookie linebacker was thrust into duty when Christian Kirksey got hurt early in the season. It’s not easy to replace a leader like Kirksey and Mack Wilson struggled at first with this task, but is starting to come into his own.
Mack has only started seven games but he is second on the team in tackles behind Joe Schobert — and he has improved his pass coverage as well. He has 39 tackles and only has five missed tackles according to Pro Football Reference.
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Compare that to 11 missed tackles by Schobert who is Cleveland’s best linebacker.
Wilson has the speed to go from sideline to sideline and is getting more comfortable with how things work in the NFL. He will need to show his improvement this week against a good group of running backs.
The Steelers starter James Conner has missed the last two games with a shoulder injury and Trey Edmunds has also been out with a rib injury.
The status of those two is uncertain coming off of a short week but Jaylen Samuels and rookie Tony Brooks-James were very effective against the Rams.
Both of them are threats to catch the ball so Wilson will have to be aware of that. Whether the Steelers have all of their backs or not they will rely on the running game to move the ball with Mason Rudolph at quarterback.
Wilson will have to react quickly to runs so he doesn’t get swallowed up by Pittsburgh’s big offensive lineman. If he can do that, then look for this rookie to be all over the field.