Cleveland Browns: Marvin Wilson, boom or bust?

Marvin Wilson was looking like one of the best defensive tackles in the nation prior to a knee injury. Will he get back to his full form with the Cleveland Browns?

Defensive tackle Marvin Wilson is the biggest question mark on the Cleveland Browns defensive line coming into the 2021 season. That question mark being, will Cleveland get the productive Florida State star from 2018-19, or the disappointing rotational player from 2020?

Last season Wilson’s production was a fraction of what it was the years before. Injuries and weight seemed to take a toll on Wilson’s effectiveness as a pass rusher. Wilson was praised for his ability to control a line and push them back on any given play prior to this season. His pass-rush ability was highly regarded as the best for any defensive tackle in the nation.

Before getting injured with a knee injury in 2019, Wilson compiled five sacks and 44 total tackles in just nine games. These are very productive numbers for a larger defensive tackle.

At this time we saw what was projected to be a first-round pick. He was not only living up to the hype of his high school success but was exceeding it. Wilson was predicted to be a top 15 or even top 10 prospect, but he decided to play his senior year was the best decision for him.

Shortly into the 2020 season, it was evident that Wilson was not going to be the same player he was prior to his knee injury. His game speed in 2020 looked much slower due to some newly added weight and his injury.

His statistical production dwindled heavily, racking up only one sack and two tackles for loss. He did make a jump in special teams though, by blocking three field goals which was tied for the best in the nation. Aside from that, there was nothing to really show Wilson would return to his 2019 form.

The decision to stay for his senior season destroyed his draft stock, dropping from a highly projected first-rounder to an undrafted free agent. But from the looks of it now, it may have been the best thing for him. In an interview with “Best Podcast Available” he mentions that “Cleveland just seemed like a perfect situation for me”, and he’s not wrong about that.

With all of the newly added talent on the defensive line, he doesn’t need to be that star like he did on Florida State. Wilson will be the least of the worries with guys like Myles Garrett and Jadeveon Clowney lined up outside of him. Wilson also will be coming in fresh a lot of the game as well. With the addition of veteran Malik Jackson and Ohio State rookie Tommy Togiai, the defensive tackle position will have more than enough players to rotate in for different situations.

He has what it takes to be a starter in this league, we have all seen it in 2018 and 2019. His pad level is exceptional for a man of that stature, great core strength, his frame is at times is simply too much to handle, his motor is there when it needs to be, and he’s a vocal leader. It is just unknown if the Browns organization can get him back on track.

His success will be determined by the success of those around him, as well as if he can get back into his 2019 shape. Which means increasing his game speed, losing some weight, and regaining that violence at the point of attack.

All of these need to happen if he wants to turn into that first-round prospect he was just a year ago. If we don’t see that transition, expect him to be nothing more than a rotational gap filler.