The 2019 NFL Draft will be a great event for teams to start building for their future. The Game Haus will be doing scouting reports on some of the top prospects in the 2019 NFL Draft. Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson is the next Alabama linebacker who will be taken in the NFL Draft.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DnxaXbNyqU

Background

Position: Linebacker

Class: Junior

2018 stats: 65 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, five passes defended

Size: 6-foot-1, 240 pounds

Wilson waited his time at Alabama behind some talented players and finally cracked the lineup this year. Through his solid play this season, he is now considered one of the best linebackers in the 2019 NFL Draft class.

At Alabama, Wilson had 113 total tackles, seven tackles for loss, one sack, six interceptions, one touchdown, seven passes defended and one fumble recovery. He was a special teams and situational player in his first two seasons at Alabama. Wilson got his first starts of his college career in the College Football Playoff following the 2017 season. He then started the entire 2018 season, making a name for himself as an athletic linebacker. Alabama was able to make the National Championship Game with Wilson leading the defense last season.

After waiting his time, Wilson was able to maximize his opportunity as a top Crimson Tide defensive player. Now he will be in contention to be one of the top linebackers selected in the 2019 NFL Draft.

Strengths

Wilson is can get after the quarterback in a variety of ways. His most effective way to get to the quarterback is the delayed blitz. Once he sees how the offensive linemen are blocking he can find a gap and often gets to the quarterback without being touched. Wilson is also a solid blitzer, even without a delay, and has the ability to rush off the edge if asked to.

His coverage will be another trait that NFL scouts will like. He is great in zone coverage, as he reads the quarterback’s eyes and makes plays on the ball based off of his solid reads. In man, he can keep up with a lot of tight ends and running backs, although he needs to stay attached to them for longer.

As mentioned when talking about his coverage, Wilson has excellent ball skills. He can break up plays or go and win battles to intercept the ball. His six interceptions over the last two season are a credit to his coverage and ball skills.

Weaknesses

Wilson misses a lot of tackles in space. When tracking down a ball carrier, Wilson will be set and ready to make the play, but the opponent will slip and slide away from him. His tackling is fine if he has the opponent in a confined space, but his tackling in space has to improve if he wants to play consistently in the NFL.

While Wilson has solid range, he has a tough time getting to the ball carrier if their obstacles in his way. Blocks that are executed next to him slows him down as he tries to get around them. If he can clear the blocks that are laid on his teammates and get to the ball himself, he will be much more effective.

Another way Wilson can improve is by showing up for every game. Although he played in 25 games over his last two season at Alabama, he would at times disappear from games and not make as much of an impact. With other prospects making more plays, and doing so on a more regular basis, Wilson could fall a few extra picks in the draft.

Projected draft range: First round-Second round

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