University of Florida cornerback Marco Wilson finally heard his name called Saturday when the Arizona Cardinals selected him with the 31st pick of the fourth round (136th overall) on Day 3 of the 2021 NFL Draft. If you’re not familiar with his body of work, Wilson rose to national attention last fall when, inexplicably, the 22-year-old flung LSU tight end Kole Taylor’s size-14 Nike 20 yards downfield after a crucial third-down stop late in the fourth quarter. Wilson’s reckless display would result in a costly unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that handed LSU a new set of downs and, ultimately, the game when Cade York boomed a 57-yard field goal to put the Tigers ahead for good with 23 seconds remaining.
Wilson, whose brother Quincy also plays in the NFL for the New York Giants, spoke at length about the incident in a recent profile for ESPN, admitting he received death threats after his regrettable lapse in judgment against LSU. It’s unclear if Wilson’s gaffe was a factor in him lasting until the fourth round, though obviously the Cardinals, who just watched Pro Bowl cornerback Patrick Peterson depart in free agency, were able to see past it. Wilson’s redemption arc will be an interesting narrative to track throughout his pro career as the 6’0” DB looks to forge a new identity after ending his Gainesville tenure on a decidedly sour note.
Other picks of note from Day 3 include Ohio State cornerback Shaun Wade (drafted by the Ravens 162nd overall), whose stock plummeted after being exposed by DeVonta Smith in the national championship game and Panthers fourth-rounder Chuba Hubbard of Oklahoma State, who led all of FBS with 2,094 rushing yards in 2019. The Jets also made a splash by taking a fourth-round flyer on UNC running back Michael Carter (fourth in FBS rushing yards last season), which they followed up by selecting another Michael Carter—this one a cornerback from Duke—one round later.
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