Kyle Wilson: Stay or Go?

There are a lot of Jets players who draw heavy criticism. Kyle Wilson is one of them. I think he gets too much. I understand it. When you watch Darrelle Revis and Antonio Cromartie play, Wilson pales in comparison. When you invest a first round pick in a corner, you expect a Revis or Cromartie type. Wilson's finger wag gets really old. You should be a top flight player if your signature move is taunting your opponent.

Wilson is not a great player. I don't see him as the disaster at cornerback many see him as, though. I thought he was solid playing the slot in 2011. This year Darrelle Revis' injury forced him to start on the outside. With Wilson getting significant time, the Jets still had an above average pass defense. He didn't look like burnt toast out there by my eyeball test. The numbers suggest he wasn't bad either. He was in the 20-30 range according to Pro Football Focus for stats like cover snaps per reception, yards allowed per play in coverage, and quarterback rating against. These aren't world beating numbers, but there are 64 starting corners in the NFL. If your second best guy is in the 20's range, you are in good shape. If your third best guy is there, you are in great shape. If you think Wilson is terrible, you should see what some of the other teams in the NFL are trotting out there.

Wilson will probably never validate his Draft slot, but he makes for cheap depth. The Jets have too little of that. The upside if you dump him is trading him for a mid to late round pick you would hope turns into cheap depth. Wilson should stay. Hopefully he will be able to slide back inside as the number three.