Tavon Wilson

[Pats0204]

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

According to PFF, he was honorable mention behind Barron and Smith. I thought he played fairly well as a rookie despite some coverage breakdowns this season.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/01/15/2012-pff-all-rookie-team/2/

 

[Get it shawtaay]

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?

This is a reasonable criticism. At pick 48, you expect a player to be part of the team's plans, and while Wilson had a nice year statistically, we've yet to find out if he has a knack for being in the right places at the right time, or just just happened to be in the right places at the right time.

Personally, I see Wilson's ideal outcome as playing well downhill that he can displace a true linebacker like Spikes on passing downs in a "big dime" kind of setup. He's shown some ability to cover tight ends, and as long as he's good enough there to not give up the 7-8 yard draws, it would be a major upgrade.

 

[JackBauer]

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

If we're to lament missing on someone, it's going to be Lavonte David.

 

[Get it shawtaay]

If we're to lament missing on someone, it's going to be Lavonte David.

Every season, a prospect reminds us that the play on the field ultimately matters most. David was a top 10 guy on film, yet everyone passed on him at least once because he was too small. No way he goes outside the top 10 in a redraft. What did we learn, folks?

 

[randomk1]

Every season, a prospect reminds us that the play on the field ultimately matters most. David was a top 10 guy on film, yet everyone passed on him at least once because he was too small. No way he goes outside the top 10 in a redraft. What did we learn, folks?

Not to mention a lot of people on this forum liked him.

Oh well...

 

[Deus Irae]

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.

Wilson was garbage this year, for the most part. The hope is that he'll improve going forward.

 

[JackBauer]

Wilson was garbage this year, for the most part. The hope is that he'll improve going forward.

Well, the good thing is (to my eyes, anyway) he did improve in coverage as the season went along.

I do agree he was pretty poor for the first 3/4 or so of the season.

 

[IllegalContact]

I'm lukewarm about the pick......

on one hand he seems to be a decent player who will make improvements heading into next year.....on the other hand, I see him as having been available in rounds 4 or 5.

 

[Gronkandez]

If we're to lament missing on someone, it's going to be Lavonte David.

Especially since everyone was on board with him before the draft.

IIRC though, he was taken a few spots ahead on Wilson. I could be wrong though.

 

[Ivan]

...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?

I still can't figure out why they wasted a 6th on Tom Frigging Brady, any draftnik could have told you that Giovanni Carmozzi was a much better prospect. Brady was the slowest QB ever at the Combine, and if you saw his picture there he looked more like one of those guys who criticize every draft than a player. Christ, what a waste, they had Micheal Bishop and Bledsoe already and Bishop had an absolute cannon and could run a 3.84 40.

 

[Ivan]

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

lmao............ The irony of someone who hated the pick now suggesting he didn't live up to it is pretty funny. Wilson clearly had a good season for a player drafted where he was, he's a prospect not a lock to start and play every snap his rookie year. He played well and made some mistakes, pretty much par for the course, and whether or not he was a good choice will only be borne out by how well he plays over the next few years. He clearly wasn't a bust by any standards. Belichick drafted him for what he thought he could turn into, not what he was in college, as most of his career had been at CB and not as a safety. He was a project and anyone paying attention should have known that going into it. when a player is drafted and asked to change positions then they are obviously going to be developmental picks, and not expected to simply step right in and contribute, although Wilson actually did pretty well in that regard. If he fails in coming years then those who hated the pick can come in and beat their chests and once again proclaim how right they were and how much Belichick sucks, but doing so now simply makes them look foolish.


Even though I like many of the draft posters and respect the opinions of some of them when it comes to the draft the practice of revisionist history is really what most of them really excel at. They remember forever any choice they might have made that went on to play well and immediately forget every Chad Jackson and Laurence Maroney they clamored for on draft day but who sucked as a pro. Players like Mayo, Mankins, and Vollmer were derided as "reaches" by those who believe they really know what is going on while the aforementioned Jackson and Maroney were hailed as saviors and then went on to suck, and in the meantime their biggest backers disappeared while those claiming they knew they would suck grew in numbers right up until their release. And, for the record, I loved the Maroney pick, which just shows how little i knew.

 

[ay-yo]

Wilson struggled playing deep zone early in the year. Then we didnt see him for a while before he started coming in as a SS. He looked much better in this role however he could not take the starting spot from Gregory. SS is clearly Wilson best position IMO. I expect the Pats to give Wilson one more year to prove himself. If he doesnt show imptovement they'll start looking for a new SS of the future next offseason. I also expect us to add somebody who isn't a total fail at FS because right now that's what Gregory and Wilson are back there. A McCourty injury could be a quick path back to the crappy secondary.

 

[Sciz]

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

Unless there's not a single player who was taken later and is better, then you can do this. I mean, the Pats could have taken Vincent Jackson, and they only ended up with Logan Mankins!

 

[crowell33]

According to PFF, he was honorable mention behind Barron and Smith. I thought he played fairly well as a rookie despite some coverage breakdowns this season.

https://www.profootballfocus.com/blog/2013/01/15/2012-pff-all-rookie-team/2/

I love it. When PFF has a negative opinion of a Patriots player, there are 15 fanboys that scream "PFF sucks !" When PFF has a positive opinion of a Patriot player, no one says a word, all you hear is crickets.

 

[Deus Irae]

I still can't figure out why they wasted a 6th on Tom Frigging Brady, any draftnik could have told you that Giovanni Carmozzi was a much better prospect. Brady was the slowest QB ever at the Combine, and if you saw his picture there he looked more like one of those guys who criticize every draft than a player. Christ, what a waste, they had Micheal Bishop and Bledsoe already and Bishop had an absolute cannon and could run a 3.84 40.

What does this have to do with the idea that Wilson was at least arguably overdrafted and hasn't been a good pick to this point?

 

[Deus Irae]

I love it. When PFF has a negative opinion of a Patriots player, there are 15 fanboys that scream "PFF sucks !" When PFF has a positive opinion of a Patriot player, no one says a word, all you hear is crickets.

PFF is a joke. That's understood as a given for most of us.

 

[Ivan]

What does this have to do with the idea that Wilson was at least arguably overdrafted and hasn't been a good pick to this point?

According to who?

 

[Ivan]

What does this have to do with the idea that Wilson was at least arguably overdrafted and hasn't been a good pick to this point?

Brady was a wasted pick according to Kiper. If you have a bible that you refer to for prospects then by all means cite it.

 

[Deus Irae]

According to who?

Depends on which part? Overdrafted: according to most people who analyzed the draft. Hasn't been a good pick so far: should be pretty much anyone who's watched him play.

Brady was a wasted pick according to Kiper. If you have a bible that you refer to for prospects then by all means cite it.

Brady was a "steal", meaning he was a player taken much lower than his later production would indicate, or that he was projected to go much higher but fell, like a Moss, Sapp or Dennard. Wilson was a reach, meaning he was taken much higher than was expected by the consensus. It's just the jargon of the draft.

Comparisons of Brady and Wilson just make you look insane.

 

[patfanken]

What does this have to do with the idea that Wilson was at least arguably overdrafted and hasn't been a good pick to this point?

So, DI what would it have taken for Wilson to be "a good pick" in your illustrious, all seeing eyes. 100 tackles? a dozen picks, no passes completed on him.

WTF - you waltz into this thread pontificating that Wilson was over drafted and was a bad pick,like no other opinion could possibly exist, Based on WHAT??? He wasn't DROY? He made mistakes? He didn't become an immediate starter?

Ivan had it perfectly

Wilson clearly had a good season for a player drafted where he was, he was a prospect, not a lock to start and play every snap his rookie year. He played well and made some mistakes, pretty much par for the course, and whether or not he was a good choice will only be borne out by how well he plays over the next few years. He clearly wasn't a bust by any standards. Belichick drafted him for what he thought he could turn into, not what he was in college,

The Pats got decent production out of him for a rookie, both on special teams AND the regular defense. He started out strong, hit a rough patch in the middle of the season, and ended as the #3 safety playing in a lot of the sub packages. I would call it a promising and productive first season for a guy essentially playing a new position.

Unfortunately there are no guarantees for the future. Both Chung and Merriwether had what one might call "productive" rookie years. Unfortunately both hit their ceilings fairly quickly. If Wilson continues to progress over the next 3 years, the pick will be deemed a success and BB vindicated (like he really cares ).

If he quickly tops out or regresses like Chung and Merriwether did, then DI can come back and loudly tell us all, they HE was right all along, and that he's the most astute poster in all the land. Just ANOTHER reason to root for Wilson's success.