As second-round draft picks go, the New England Patriots' selection of safety Tavon Wilson was pretty controversial.
The draft analysts like Mel Kiper and our own Mike Mayock had Wilson buried on their rankings. Bill Belichick made it clear that he doesn't care about draft analysts, and he thought highly of Wilson's versatility.
On Tuesday, Wilson became the first Patriots draft pick to officially sign with the team. Perhaps Wilson was so grateful to be taken early that he didn't want to delay the process.
Wilson has good size and speed. Belichick believes Wilson can play safety or cornerback and also could help returning kicks. At this point, we see Wilson as the No. 3 safety on the team. But he could quickly pass Steve Gregory and become a starter.
That is a big jump for a player who only earned honorable mention last year in the Big Ten. Belichick will be motivated to show that he was right about Wilson, and the rest of the NFL was wrong.
