The Jets will be looking for the perfect role to make the most of Quincy Wilson‘s second-round talent.
Here’s everything you need to know about fourth-year cornerback Quincy Wilson as he prepares to do battle in a crowded cornerback competition for a key role in Gregg Williams‘ defense.
Three positive stats to maintain
Solid overall coverage in 2018
After allowing the third-most yards per cover snap among qualified cornerbacks as a rookie in 2017 (1.87), Wilson’s coverage numbers took a big step up in his second season.
Over 15 games in 2018 (including two playoff appearances), Wilson allowed only 0.81 yards per cover snap, which ranked 10th-best out of 113 qualified cornerbacks (92nd percentile). His Pro Football Focus coverage grade of 67.8 ranked at the 53rd percentile.
Coverage improvement in a zone scheme
The Colts asked their corners to play far more zone in 2018 than they did in 2017, which helped Wilson drastically slash the number of big plays that he allowed down the field.
Wilson allowed 13.4 air yards per reception in 2017, second-worst among qualified corners. In 2018 (playoffs included), Wilson allowed only 4.9 air yards per reception, good enough for the 86th percentile at the position. He did a much better job of keeping the ball in front of him and breaking downhill for the finish.
Another early-career positive for Wilson in coverage is that he allowed only two touchdowns over 595 cover snaps throughout his first two seasons. That’s one every 297.5 cover snaps. For reference, the 2019 cornerback average was one touchdown per 137.5 cover snaps.
Disclaimer – Wilson’s positives are entirely made up of what he accomplished over his first two years in the league. The 2019 season was a rough one for him – more on that later.