Tavon Wilson

[Avenger]

Wilson played on 43% of defensive snaps and 49% of special teams snaps, he had a few rookie mistakes, but overall he has lived up to his draft position. 41 tackles 4 interceptions, 6 passes defended, 2 fumble recoveries. The question is, can Wilson step up to be the #2 safety next year? Where do Ebner and Gregory fit? The presumption being that McCourty stays at safety, who starts along side him? Where do options in FA and the draft come in?

 

[MrNathanDrake]

He won't be a complete bust.

But we'll still look back at this pick and wonder why Tavon Wilson was taken instead of someone else.

 

[Joey007]

Remember Eugene Wilson and James Sanders?? For now I compare him to those guys, which isnt a bad thing. You don't want him to be the first string starter, but if a starter goes down, you know you have a good backup, 3rd safety kind of guy. Gregory fits this mold as well.

Maybe Wilson In time will turn into something more, but that's where I stand on him right now.

 

[DocHoliday]

Wonder if he can take the SS role

 

[Joey007]

He won't be a complete bust.

But we'll still look back at this pick and wonder why Tavon Wilson was taken instead of someone else.

It could have been much worse.

We couldve been the 49ers and drafted AJ Jenkins over everybody else...

 

[josh24]

Many people think we should go for Tavon Austin as a 1st round pick, but I think there are more talented WR in this draft than SS, as expected I guess. Hopefully, we'll get someone average-good at WR in the 2nd round.

With that said, go for Matt Elam, Kenny Vaccaro or Eric Reid on the 1st round, in that order of preference. There is no way 3 strong safeties are drafted in the top 27, so we're getting one of those.
Wilson? There will be time to develop him. This is a critical position for NE; we need proven talent as soon as possible.

 

[Sciz]

From what we saw, he was fine in man coverage against TEs but had some trouble being disciplined in deep zone coverage. I'm surprised we didn't see him at SS next to McCourty, because it seems like that would have suited him much better than when he was playing next to Gregory or Chung.

 

[MrNathanDrake]

FTR - The Packers took Casey Hayward a few picks after Tavon Wilson.


Hayward had 6 INTs, great coverage, and will be contender for DROY.


Tavon has some nice stats, but they come from being "in the right place at the right time". He got his stats off other players forcing fumbles or tipping passes to him.

Theres nothing wrong with that, but he never made a lot of plays on his own. Actually he got burned deep twice and then rode the bench for the majority of the second half of the season. Wilson was also billed as a NickleBack/Safety, but really only played Safety (reducing his value IMO)

It was a bad pick. But Dennard in the 7th rd makes up for it.

 

[Avenger]

FTR - The Packers took Casey Hayward a few picks after Tavon Wilson.


Hayward had 6 INTs, great coverage, and will be contender for DROY.


Tavon has some nice stats, but they come from being "in the right place at the right time". He got his stats off other players forcing fumbles or tipping passes to him.

Theres nothing wrong with that, but he never made a lot of plays on his own. Actually he got burned deep twice and then rode the bench for the majority of the second half of the season. Wilson was also billed as a NickleBack/Safety, but really only played Safety (reducing his value IMO)

It was a bad pick. But Dennard in the 7th rd makes up for it.

It certainly wasn't a bad pick by any means, could the pick have been better? Maybe, but bad? No. Safety was the #1 need we had going into the draft. I was high on Casey Hayward going into the draft, but Dennard has also played at an extremely high level.

 

[Sciz]

FTR - The Packers took Casey Hayward a few picks after Tavon Wilson.


Hayward had 6 INTs, great coverage, and will be contender for DROY.

The big knock on Hayward coming out of school is that he was mostly a zone corner, and there were questions about his ability to play man coverage. Is that really the kind of guy the Pats should have taken a chance on?

 

[ausbacker]

He won't be a complete bust.

But we'll still look back at this pick and wonder why Tavon Wilson was taken instead of someone else.

You realize Tavon Wilson was one of the top performing rookie safeties this season right?

 

[MrNathanDrake]

Is that really the kind of guy the Pats should have taken a chance on?

...and Tavon Wilson wasn't projected to be drafted until the 6th round or so.


Is that the kind of guy we should've taken a chance on.... in the 2nd round?

 

[Get it shawtaay]

...and Tavon Wilson wasn't projected to be drafted until the 6th round or so.


Is that the kind of guy we should've taken a chance on.... in the 2nd round?

Is this what the 31 GM's told you while you were eating brunch with them at IHOP?

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Anyone watching the Patriots' drafting should know that year 1 means little (I'm sure that is a fact that applies to all positions across all teams). At this point Wilson isn't a bust and he isn't a solid contributor. His ultimate value to the team is ????.
As far as that DROY candidate on Green Bay? His ultimate value is ????. Remember that McCourty was being mentioned among the top tier CB's in his rookie year? I'm sure that is a story that has more examples than can be counted. A rookie year does not make a player. I suspect for rookies, you are either improving year to year or you are/will be failing.
Let's see what Wilson can show in year 2. His first year had some positives that he can build on....and hopefully will.

 

[TheBostonStraggler]

Is this what the 31 GM's told you while you were eating brunch with them at IHOP?

IHOP? I heard the GMs like to hang out together at Dave & Busters......

 

[DarrylS]

I thought he was fine this year, and if he continues to develop may be very good... but development has been an issue for many DB's we have brought into this system.

 

[moosekill]

So let me get this straight, you are calling the Wilson pick a really bad pick, because someone picked a couple of spots after him played better in his rookie year.

While Wilson only played about 1/2 of the total defensive and special team snaps this year? Along with 4 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries?

While Wilson has been generally regarded as one of the best safeties drafted this year?

Wow, you rock.

 

[Water Boy]

I think it is fair criticism to say the Patriots have struggled with personnel when it comes to the secondary. Despite dedicating a fair amount of high round draft picks to the CB and S positions, it seems the Pats are on a hamster wheel and can never reach their destination with building the secondary.

To me its troubling that we used a second round pick on a safety last year, and despite moving McCourty to safety, many still see safety as one of our biggest needs in the draft. In order to see the Wilson pick as a success, shouldn't we all be in agreement that after his rookie year he's claimed the position and will be starting in 2013?

 

[PittPatriot]

So let me get this straight, you are calling the Wilson pick a really bad pick, because someone picked a couple of spots after him played better in his rookie year.

While Wilson only played about 1/2 of the total defensive and special team snaps this year? Along with 4 interceptions and 2 fumble recoveries?

While Wilson has been generally regarded as one of the best safeties drafted this year?

Wow, you rock.

Where did the intel on Wilson being one of the best safties drafted in 2012 come from? I completely missed that designation.

 

[ausbacker]

Where did the intel on Wilson being one of the best safties drafted in 2012 come from? I completely missed that designation.

There were independent NFL websites that rated Wilson's season favorably compared to other rookie Safeties this season given his production.

The links are out there, I've simply forgotten where they are.