Florida defensive back Marco Wilson closed his up-and-down Gators’ career shrouded in controversy. He was able to change the conversation with an explosive performance March 31 during the team’s Pro Day.
The Arizona Cardinals decided Wilson’s athletic ability and potential made him worth chancing, selecting him during the fourth round of the NFL Draft Saturday with No. 136 selection.
Wilson’s selection extends the Gators’ streak of six years with a defensive back drafted, but also served as vindication for the Fort Lauderdale product. Wilson burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2017, leading the team with 10 pass breakups, but battled injuries and inconsistency the rest of his college career.
“He never really improved from his freshman season,” said longtime draft analyst Tony Pauline of profootballnetwork.com.
Wilson was the first Gator defender, but not the last, selected during Day 3 of the Draft. The Indianapolis Colts snagged Shawn Davis, a Miami native, during the fifth round with the No. 165 pick. Eight spots later at No. 173, defensive tackle Slaton, a teammate of Wilson’s Plantation American Heritage, landed with the Green Bay Packers.
Evan McPherson, who left UF after three seasons, was the first kicker drafted, by the Cincinnati Bengals during the first round at No. 149.
Earlier in the draft, tight end Kyle Pitts made history as the highest-drafted player at his position when the Atlanta Falcons selected him No. 4. Later Thursday night, the New York Giants used the No. 20 pick on wide receiver Kadarius Toney. On Friday night, quarterback Kyle Trask, who threw 22 touchdowns to Pitts and Toney in 2020, was the final selection of the second round, landing with the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 64. Trask will be in line to back up seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady.
Of all the Gators in the draft, though, Wilson might have brought the most question marks, if not red flags.
An ACL tear as a sophomore during Week 2 of the 2018 season against Kentucky sidetracked Wilson, but by the end of the 2019 season he was thriving at the team’s Star position. Lined up inside, similar to a nickel back, Wilson defended slot receivers, rushed the quarterback and covered the flats, allowing him to showcase versatility, tackling ability and a high football IQ.
But once Wilson returned to play outside cornerback in 2020, he was exposed early and often. During his first start at cornerback last season, he struggled mightily during the Gators’ costly and narrow loss at Texas A&M.
Wilson was manhandled by Aggies 6-foot-5, 200-pound sophomore Caleb Chapman, who entered the game with six career catches but totaled nine for 151 yards and two touchdowns — both against Wilson. Chapman bodied Wilson out of the way and beat him in the air for the football for a 51-yard touchdown to tie the game late at 38-38.
Wilson, a redshirt junior, was expected to be the linchpin of the Florida secondary and one of the top cornerbacks in the SEC in 2020. Instead, he rarely met expectations and too often was exposed in coverage.
“He’s a good athlete, but he really needs to improve his ball skills,” Pauline said. “He’s good facing the action in zone system. He really struggles making plays with his back to the ball.”
The low point of Wilson’s season, if not his UF career, was a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty during the final moments of the Gators’ stunning 37-34 loss Dec. 12 to LSU on Senior Night. Wilson inexplicably tossed the shoe of an LSU player 25 yards down field following a third-down tackle, drawing a yellow flag.
The Tigers capitalized and soon kicked the game-winning field goal to had the Gators their second loss and effectively knock them out of the College Football Playoff race unless UF was able to upset Alabama. The Crimson Tide prevailed 52-26, with Wilson allowing a critical fourth-quarter touchdown in the loss.
At Pro Day, Wilson explained his actions against LSU.
“I was excited and just made an unfortunate mistake,” he said. “That’s how that is. I wished it never happened, but things happen. Everything’s not going to go your way.”
Wilson made all the right moves at the school’s Pro Day. With 58 NFL decision-makers from 31 teams on hand March 31, he put on a showcase of athletic talent.
The 5-foot-11½, 191-pound Wilson’s vertical leap reached the measuring device’s maximum height of 43½ inches; he performed 26 repetitions with 225 pounds on the bench press; and recorded an 11-foot, 4-inch broad jump.
Most impressive Wilson ran the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.34 seconds.
Wilson also offers an NFL a lot of experience, having made 35 starts at an elite program.
“I always just keep a positive mind-set,” Wilson said. “If you walk around with a negative mind-set, you’re not going to get anywhere in life.”
Meanwhile, McPherson left school after three seasons, confident his power leg and track record of consistency would earn him a spot in the NFL. He missed just one extra-point attempt during his time in Gainesville and connected on 85% of his field goals (51-of-60) without a kick being blocked.
But McPherson also missed more field goals in 2020 (five) than he had during his first two seasons in Gainesville, when he hit 34-of-38 attempts for the Gators. McPherson’s miss from 51 yards during the final seconds of a three-point loss to LSU was his final game in the Swamp.
In the eyes of NFL teams, the Alabama native’s successes, though, fair outweighed his failures.
Davis, on the other hand, will have to prove the struggles on the back end of the Gators’ 2020 defense were not due to his shortcomings. UF allowed 28 touchdown passes — most in the SEC by a margin of four.
During nine games, Davis had 40 tackles and two interceptions in 2020, giving him 124 tackles, 5.5 for loss, five interceptions, 10 pass breakups, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in a total of 37 college games.
“He’s tough and he’s smart, but he’s not a great athlete,” Pauline said.
While Davis was productive, Slaton is being drafted more on potential and athletic ability at 6-foot-4 and close to 350 pounds during his time at UF. Now listed at 330 pounds, the nimble-footed Fort Lauderdale native was considered the team’s best dancer.
Slaton, though, too often disappeared for the Gators. He started just two games during his first three seasons before starting all 12 in 2020.
Slaton recorded 37.5 tackles, including 3.5 for loss, and five QB hurries last season and finished with 98 tackles, 10 for loss (3.5 sacks). In the NFL, he likely will line up at nose tackle and be asked to occupy blockers for teammates to make plays.
