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Quincy Wilson looks to continue the long line of elite, NFL-caliber Florida defensive backs in the 2017 NFL Draft. He is expected to go high following a stellar 2016 campaign for the Gators in which he allowed a 29.9 NFL passer rating on throws into his coverage per Pro Football Focus. The All-SEC second teamer tested well at the combine, but his long speed is a concern for a lot of NFL scouts.
The Numbers Part 1
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | Hand Dize | 40 Yd. Dash |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Height | Weight | Arm Length | Hand Dize | 40 Yd. Dash |
| 6'1" | 211 lbs. | 32 1/4" | 9 5/8" | 4.54 |
The Numbers Part 2
| Bench Press | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-Cone | 20 Yd. Shuttle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bench Press | Vertical Jump | Broad Jump | 3-Cone | 20 Yd. Shuttle |
| 14 reps | 32" | 9'10" | 6.86 | 4.02 |
You can’t coach size or “want to”.
With his height and long arms, Wilson is the prototype for a long, physical corner that can wreck receivers in press. He uses his size too, as scouts have raved willingness to stick his nose in there on run downs as well as his tenacity in dealing with pass catchers. He can be a little over-aggressive at times in coverage but he shows a lot of heart on film, which has made him an appealing prospect to a lot of teams.
The Missouri game from this season was a showcase of all Wilson can offer as an NFL corner, with his physicality, coverage, and ball skills:
But you can’t coach speed or change of direction either.
Obviously, Wilson’s 40-time is going to be a knock against him because he’ll be locking horns with some of the fastest people in the world in the NFL, and his technique can be sloppy at times. A common complaint among scouts is that his backpedal isn’t fundamentally sound and another on is that he tends to struggle in coverage when the receiver wins the battle off the line of scrimmage. There’s been some rumblings among teams to move him to safety due to the questions of his long speed, but some his deficiencies with change of direction might hold Wilson back at that position too.
Wilson’s tape against Alabama exemplified his struggles in coverage (as well as some unfortunate truck sticks):
The bloodlines are strong for Wilson though as his dad, Chad Wilson, played for Miami (FL) from 1992 to 1994 while his younger brother Marco signed with the Gators in February. His athletic pedigree has paid dividends in Gainesville, but time will tell if he can be that same kind of player at the next level.
Projection
Where Wilson gets taken in the Draft is largely dependent on which teams view him as either a corner or a safety and whether those teams have a need at those spots. With long, physical defensive backs being more en vogue as NFL offenses are taking more spread concepts from the college game (such as Dallas and Pittsburgh implementing RPOs), a player like Wilson ought to be a high priority for a team needing stronger back end play. Dan Kadar of Mocking the Draft has Wilson as the 7th best corner in the draft (behind fellow Gator Teez Tabor) and he could very well go in the late first or early second round depending on what happens in the next couple of weeks. Whether or not Seattle pulls the trigger and actually trade Richard Sherman could be huge for Wilson’s draft stock.