5 Cleveland Browns players on the roster bubble heading into OTAs
By Sam Penix
4. LB Mack Wilson
Mack Wilson has been a fan favorite since being drafted for three main reasons; his love of the game, his social media presence, and an inflated reputation as a result of being an Alabama linebacker. Mock drafts routinely had him as a second or even first-round pick, yet his on-field play over his first two campaigns clearly shows that he fell to the fifth round for a very good reason.
He struggled mightily early on as a rookie, but did show improvement towards the end of the 2019 season. Unfortunately, he failed to continue that development in 2020, and actually regressed. Without great physical tools, Wilson has to be excellent mentally, and he just isn’t.
He’s consistently slow to react and there are more blown plays than quality reps on his tape. With the team having technically drafted two linebackers, it’s extremely difficult to see a place on the roster for him, especially because he doesn’t play special teams.
Opting for younger, cheaper, more versatile, and better talent with higher ceilings and higher floors as depth is the way to go, and Wilson will have to improve by leaps and bounds in training camp if he is to beat out players like Tony Fields II.