Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
Typically, it takes more than a few months to figure out that fourth-round picks are busts.
In the case of Oakland Raiders rookie quarterback Tyler Wilson, he chose to stray away from the status quo. In a matter of four months, the Arkansas product has gone from contender for the starting quarterback job to lost cause.
The trouble started when Wilson struggled to grasp the mental aspects of the position, consistently failing to make proper reads, diagnose defensive coverage schemes and understand the Raiders offensive playbook. Throughout training camp and the preseason, Wilson was unable to back up his billing as a fourth-round pick and eventually lost the No. 3 spot on the Raiders’ depth chart to undrafted rookie Matt McGloin.
After spending most of the preseason on the sideline, Wilson sealed his fate when he put together a less-than-impressive showing against the Seattle Seahawks in the Raiders’ preseason finale. He completed eight of 12 passes for 65 yards while also taking a sack. His numbers weren’t awful, but Wilson was generally ineffective.
Although Wilson initially made the Raiders’ 53-man roster on August 31, Oakland waived the rookie a day later. He eventually cleared waivers – shocking for a mid-round rookie quarterback – and has since been signed to the practice squad. For a fourth-round pick, though, that’s unacceptable.
Amidst a quarterback competition that included nothing but unproven talent, Wilson was unable to stand out from the crowd. Not only did he fail to fend off the undrafted McGloin, but he was so disappointing on the practice field that the Raiders refused to give him game-day snaps. And to think that, prior to the draft, many scouts and analysts considered him an NFL-ready passer…
With the way that his first few months with the Raiders have played out, there’s a good chance that Wilson will never amount to anything in the NFL. He’s so far behind in terms of grasping the mental aspects of the game, and he may never get to the point to where he competently lead an offense.
At first, it seemed like the Raiders got a steal in Wilson. Instead, it’s a wasted mid-round pick for GM Reggie McKenzie.
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Gil Alcaraz IV is the Content Planner for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV, like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
