2019 NFL Draft: Meet Caleb Wilson, this year's Mr. Irrelevant
Most college players will tell you that it doesn't matter when you get drafted, it's more important to be selected when it comes to the NFL Draft, err, besides the final pick of the entire draft that is.
The final pick of the NFL Draft has an infamous 'Mr. Irrelevant' tag attached to it and for obvious reasons. You don't really expect a prospect selected after hundreds of other athletes to really make it big in the NFL. This year the unsought label went to UCLA tight end Caleb Wilson who was selected by the Arizona Cardinals with the 254th overall pick.
Background
The son of the current Philadelphia Eagles defensive coach Chris Wilson, Caleb had originally committed to Old Dominion to play as a quarterback for the Monarchs but instead he took a redshirt year and transferred to USC. He was later offered a scholarship by UCLA where he transferred next to play for the Bruins.
Wilson's college stats aren't really that underwhelming considering the fact that he was the 254th pick in a draft. Throughout his three years at UCLA, one of which was marred by injuries, Wilson managed to record a total of 1675 receiving yards in 114 catches across 24 games, averaging 14.7 yards per catch.
Despite the Bruins having a paltry record of 3-9 during 2018, Wilson was a first team All-Pac-12 selection as well as a second team All-American selection last year. Not bad for a Mr. Irrelevant, right?
Player profile
Probably the best thing about Wilson is his route-running, which, coupled with his impeccable understanding of plays helps him exploit the open areas in the field, especially at the intermediate level. His long hands do help him with an improved catching radius but Wilson has been accused of making some absolutely poor drops.
Wilson hasn't really shined in man coverage plays as his lack of athleticism comes into the fray here. He has to use his body strength to create separation and will more often than not fail to do so when matched against a quality defensive end.
Wilson only recorded a 29' vertical leap at the combine and that most certainly will not help him much in plucking a catch out of thin air in contested plays. His lack of explosiveness also restricts his running ability after making a catch. Wilson does a fair job in marking and blocking off open defenders but besides that, his ability in or around the end zone is very limited.
In a nutshell, Wilson's high football IQ is what has helped him perform during his college years when he has been held back by his lack of versatility and athletic ability. Hence, while he could have been picked higher in the draft, it's really understandable as to why he was the last pick in the 2019 NFL Draft.