Marco Wilson was a steal for the Arizona Cardinals

Making an impact early is nothing new for former Florida Gators cornerback Marco Wilson.

When Wilson arrived at Florida as a true freshman, only three other true freshmen started at cornerback for the Gators (Joe Haden, Janoris Jenkins, and Marcus Roberson). Wilson made that four as he started Week 1 for Florida in 2017.

Wilson went on to play in 32 games for the Gators in his three seasons. He compiled 99 tackles, three interceptions, 17 pass deflections, and one forced fumble.

Many people will remember Wilson for his lapse of judgment against LSU when his cleat toss cost the Gators a huge third-down stop and possibly the game. However, Wilson was much more than that, and luckily, his Pro Day dominance helped show NFL teams that not only does he have a lot of experience, he’s an elite athlete.

One thing that’s great about the NFL Draft is that you only need one team to fall in love with you, and for Wilson, that was the Arizona Cardinals.

The Cardinals took Marco Wilson with the 136th pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.

It was an excellent moment for Wilson, though I’m sure he wishes he went earlier. However, the Cardinals were thrilled that he was there that late. They were so thrilled that both head coach Kliff Kingsbury and general manager Steve Keim labeled Wilson the steal of their draft, according to Kyle Odegard of ArizonaCardinals.com. Odegard said Kingsbury said, “”His athleticism, his workout, what we think of him as a staff and as a personnel department — he’s a big-time talent to get where we got him.”

That’s high praise, but Wilson has earned it. The Cardinals have a significant need at cornerback, so if Wilson can be their guy, they will be thrilled. Wilson will need to get more consistent and show he can lock down the No. 1 receiver every week.

However, if the Cardinals can develop Wilson’s game and get him to play more consistently, Wilson will surely be a steal.