Want another example of a good safety that took a few years to develop, just look at local kid, James Ihedigbu. He went from an UDFA Jets discard to the starting S of a superbowl team in 2 years and most of us couldn't wait to upgrade. He then catches on with the Ravens as a back up and is thrust into their superbowl run.....and they can't wait to "upgrade". He then goes to the Lions where by all accounts he's developed into a better than average starter on a great defense. It takes time, folks
As to Wilson, the media and fans marked him as a loser right after he took a fake and had his man beat him for a game winning TD. And we know that THAT should NEVER happen, especially to a rookie. DB. They should NEVER get beaten on pass plays.....ever.
. The unfair thing is that the same people who wanted to run Wilson out of the league are the same people who have watched Tom Brady do the same thing to future HOFer Troy Palomalu about a half dozen time for over a decade. (and a bunch of other S's as well)
By all real accounts Wilson had a very productive rookie year, and I know I expected great things his second year.....which we all know didn't happen and no seems to know why. Although it seems injuries were a part of it. But for whatever the reason, his 2nd season was a lost one.
That being said, the much maligned Wilson has turned himself into a key core STer, and a solid back up contributor who is earning an increasing number of snaps as the season has gone on. He looks stronger, faster and more decisive. Effective enough that even the casual fan has started to notice.
The point is that 3 years ago BB, farseeing as usual) understood how the game was being irrevocably changed and thought it was imperative to start to look for the new prototype of what a SS used to be. No longer could a team afford to draft an "in the box" guy who couldn't move in open space. BB understood early that in the new NFL you need S's who had more in common with CB's than LBs in their skill sets. To BB Wilson fit that skill set better than anyone left on the board that year.
Think about that. Pryor and Vaccarro were almost unanimously considered first round locks in their draft....and both would have been worth it.....in 2002. Now both are finding problems trying to find a significant role in a league that is finding less and less need for a set of skills more suited for a game that no longer exists.
Remember, BB has always said that the 2nd round is where you take youf biggest boom/bust shots. The same round that gave us Ras I and Chad Jackson, is the same one that gave us Gronk and Collins (BTW-IIRC Ras I and Jackson were pretty much universally applauded, while drafting a TE who had just a few dozen college catches in college and a really bad back, and a Jack of all trades and master of none, high in the 2nd was very much questioned
In the end, with Wilson, I think BB will turn out to be right, although a couple of years later than expected, although not to the level of success the Gronk and Collins picks turned out. If you can get a solid starter out of a mid 2nd round pick, I think it should be considered a success. I believe that Wilson will turn out to be that kind of player before his career is over. It might not be here, but somewhere.
