Getty Linebacker Mack Wilson #51 of the Cleveland Browns works out during an NFL training camp at the Browns training facility on August 18, 2020 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
The Cleveland Browns may have parted ways with a former draft pick just before he comes into his own.
The Browns traded Mack Wilson to the New England Patriots in March after three seasons in Cleveland. The franchise selected the linebacker in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. In return, the Browns received pass rusher Chase Winovich in a move to replace the quarterback pressure formerly brought by Takkarist McKinley.
Wilson, 24, remained durable throughout his stint with the Browns, but coaches reduced his role progressively with each year. Wilson started 14 games as a rookie — a number that dropped to eight games in year two and six games in 2021, per Pro Football Reference.
But one NFL writer believes the Browns made a mistake giving up on their former starter and sees a potentially big season for Wilson ahead.
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Wilson Named Potential ‘Breakout Candidate’ Early in Preseason
Getty ImagesRonnie Harrison Jr. and Mack Wilson of the Cleveland Browns tackle Randall Cobb of the Houston Texans.
Alex Ballentine of Bleacher Report on Saturday named Wilson among six “early breakout candidates” in the NFL based on the preseason to this point.
The fourth-year linebacker saw his snap share shrink in three consecutive seasons in Cleveland. He went from playing 88 percent of the defensive snaps in his rookie season in 2019 to just 21 percent last season.
The former Alabama [linebacker] had four tackles in his Patriots debut and showcased his speed with a quarterback hit as a blitzer. It’s also worth noting that he wore the green dot, signifying that he was the defensive player in direct communication with the coaching staff.
A part of Wilson’s transformation could have something to do with New England’s linebackers coach Jerod Mayo, a former a linebacker with the Patriots who retired in 2015.
“I love getting coached by Mayo,” Wilson told media members on August 15, per Mass Live. “Feel like he’s the greatest coach I’ve ever had in my life at the position.”
Browns’ All-Pro Myles Garrett Returns to Camp After Long Absence
GettyDefensive end Myles Garrett of the Cleveland Browns reacts during the first half of a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 31, 2021, in Cleveland, Ohio.
While not a candidate for a breakout season, pass rusher Myles Garrett is a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
Garrett returned to camp on Friday after missing four consecutive sessions while tending to a gravely ill member of his immediate family. He is expected to be available for the team’s second preseason game Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The All-Pro finished third in the NFL last season with 16 sacks, per Pro Football Reference. Cleveland may well need Garrett to repeat, or even improve on, that performance as the defense will be asked to pick up some of the slack in the wake of quarterback Deshaun Watson’s 11-game suspension.
Garrett’s running mate on the edge last year, Jadeveon Clowney, returned to the roster on a one-year deal this offseason worth $10 million, per Spotrac. Clowney, a three-time Pro Bowler, put together nine sacks last season to complement Garrett’s production, creating one of the most productive pressure duos in the NFL.