The Tale of the Tape: Breakdown of NFL Draft Prospect Marvin Wilson

On Thursday the Senior Bowl released a new batch of players included on their roster for this year's edition of the game in January. The player that caught my eye immediately was Florida State defensive tackle Marvin Wilson. One of the top defensive tackles in this draft, here’s what the tape says about Marvin Wilson.

Marvin Wilson played all 4 years for Florida State, with his senior season being cut short due to an undisclosed injury. In 34 games with the Seminoles, Wilson earned 109 total tackles, including 15 tackles for loss, to go along with 9 career sacks.

The first thing that stands out about Wilson is his size, he truly is a big guy at 6’5 305. Wilson uses that size very well, with it being almost impossible to move him in the run game. There will be times where you see teams double team him and still be unable to move him. He is an absolute anchor in run defense. He also uses his length and strength exceptionally when two gapping. 

Wilson constantly draws double teams. Because of how strong he is, teams usually have to try and double him, especially in the run game. Having a double team magnet like Wilson is great for teams that have good athletic linebackers. You not only upgrade at defensive tackle with him, but you also help other positions around him as well.

Wilson has a fire under him every play. When he’s on the field he’s hustling to the ball carrier. While not as fast or as athletic as some defensive tackles, Wilson’s motor helps him make plays guys his size shouldn’t. Routinely you will see him running to the other side of the field after a ball carrier. You will sometimes see him making a tackle 5 yards down the field. He doesn’t give up on plays, and that hot motor is what every coach wants.

What I really love about Wilson is how violent his hands are. He looks to be active with his hands, whether it’s clubbing his opponent or giving a nice rip move. The initial pop Wilson delivers sends shockwaves through his opponent, he is a heavy hitter. Sometimes though he won’t have a counter after that initial pop or move. He will on occasion string together two nice moves, but there are definitely times where it almost seems like he’s content to wrestle his opponent after that 1st move. His first hit is really nice, but I would like to see further development on his follow up moves.

Marvin Wilson, while a good prospect, is not one without faults. I don’t think he’s a lineman that teams will move around much. I think it’s best to utilize his size and strength mostly at nose tackle. He isn’t the best athlete in the world and isn’t as prolific of a pass rusher as some of the other defensive tackles we’ve seen in recent years. This might rule him out for some teams and cause him to be a day 2 pick.

Overall I really like Marvin Wilson for what he is as a prospect. As of right now, I think he’s a good late 1st round-early 2nd round prospect. I think he’s very role-specific. I wouldn’t have him moving around the defensive line, but some team looking for a space-eater to stop the run and unlock other teammates will have their guy in Wilson. He would be perfect for a team like Tennessee. The Senior Bowl will be a big week for Wilson to prove that he can rush the passer, possibly entering his name into first-round discussion.

Stats from sports-reference.com/cfb/

Information on Marvin Wilson from seminoles.com

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-By: Jacob Keppen