Kyle Wilson: 2014 and Beyond

Kyle Wilson was a 2010 first round pick of the Jets. Hopes were high when the Jets picked Wilson, but he never lived up to them. WIlson served as the nickel corner for the Jets in 2014 once again. His play was less than spectacular, certainly not up to the first round grade. Given the misfortune of the Jets at cornerback, though, his play wasn't awful by comparison.

Wilson is not a popular guy within the fan base. Plenty of things play into this. There is his failure to live up to his first round pedigree. There is his tendency to taunt his opponent on incompletions where his coverage had little to do with the play's failure. His lack of ball skills also play into this. When a cornerback covers his guy well and forces the quarterback to throw in a different direction, few notice. When a quarterback attacks a corner, everybody notices. Wilson has poor ball skills. When he is attacked, he is apt to give up a completion. Wilson actually is pretty decent in coverage. On the plays he isn't targeted he generally does his job. Those don't stick out, though.

At the end of the day, Wilson was probably the best cornerback the Jets had in 2014, although that is probably more of a commentary on the other corners on the roster. He only allowed 29 catches and 310 yards in coverage. I think the Jets should have given him a chance on the outside. It would have been difficult for Wilson to have been less productive than the guys they did put out there.

Wilson's career with the Jets reminds me of Bryan Thomas'. They were both around for a while and filled roles. They just came nowhere close to justifying a first round pick. Wilson is a decent enough nickel. I wouldn't have a huge objection if the Jets could get him back to compete for the job at a cheap price. I don't think he's good enough to spend any real money on, though.