Quincy Wilson, DB, Florida: NFL Draft Scouting Report

There’s been a longtime battle in Florida for which University is to be considered DBU (defensive back university). Is it Florida? Miami? Florida State? The debate is never ending. This year however the chips go to the University of Florida. They produced three players that will likely be taken in the first two rounds and the best of them may be Quincy Wilson. He’s a bigger, thicker corner who can even transfer to safety depending on the team that drafts him. Wilson is a first round talent and his smooth game should make him a starter early in his career.

Name: Quincy Wilson

Height: 6’1

Weight: 211

Position: Defensive Back

School: Florida

2016 Season Stats: 33 tackles (18 solo), 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack; three interceptions, six passes defended, one defensive touchdown 

Strengths

Quincy Wilson is an effort guy. On any play you can see Wilson giving his all to defend and disrupt the play. As a taller corner with good weight, Wilson can be effective in press coverage. His size has teams talking about a possible switch to safety where he would have more of an open field to use his instincts. In addition, being a solid tackler will push teams to give the safety option a look. Wilson’s fame comes from being a corner though and with his on field awareness, he’s excelled himself into the upper threshold. He’s a guy you can constantly find around the football and he loves to make a play when given the opportunity. Off Wilson’s pure effort alone he could end up being the best defensive prospect in this class.

Weaknesses

For all of the praise that Wilson gets for being a big, physical corner, he lacks some of the small things. He’s not the most athletic corner and that showed with his 4.54 40 yard dash at the combine. His hips can be stiff and if he loses the press, faster receivers can take advantage. The transition to safety seems best simply because it can mask some of his deficiencies on the outside. Wilson’s lack of long speed and sometimes lack of mirroring can put him on skates against guys like Odell and Antonio Brown (not that they don’t provide that for the rest of the league). His recovery speed is marginal at best and defending the slot is pretty much a no.

Outlook

While I believe teams may give Wilson a shot on the outside, he seems best to become a safety at the next level. His skill set, drive and style of play really tailor to playing up high where he can use his excellent field vision. Wilson could see himself drafted in the middle of round one or all the way to the second day depending on what teams are looking for. Regardless, Wilson is the definition of a football player. Coaches and fans alike will love to see him on the field.