5 Most overhyped Cleveland Browns in 2020

4. Mack Wilson, Linebacker

There have been several examples of Browns fans overvaluing a player simply because he happened to stand out due to the team around him being awful. One example is Duke Johnson, the former running back who is now with the Houston Texans.

Johnson was always a solid running back for Cleveland but he also had his worth inflated since the rest of the roster was so bad. Johnson was a good player on a terrible roster, which led many to believe he was a great player.

All that is being said to point to Mack Wilson. A fifth-round pick in 2019, Wilson was pressed into action when Christain Kirksey was lost for the season early on. Wilson ended up starting 14 of 16 games played as a rookie and his numbers were respectable as he finished with 82 tackles and an interception. The problem is, those numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Wilson had his share of issues as he often took poor angles and that was reflected in his 41.6 grade according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). His rating was so low on PFF, that Wilson was actually the 83rd of 89 linebackers ranked by the site.

When Wilson left Alabama ahead of the 2019 season, his collegiate coach was outspoken that he left the NCAA too early. Nick Saban felt there was more for him to work on, which is a big reason he fell to the fifth round.

None of this is being said to label Wilson a bust — he is still young and was done great for a fifth-round pick. Still, the fact that expectations are that he will be a long-term starter means he could be overhyped ahead of this season.