Colts Select Florida Cornerback Quincy Wilson with 46th Overall Pick

With the 46th overall pick in the 2nd round, the Indianapolis Colts have selected Florida cornerback Quincy Wilson.

The 6’1″, 211 pound cornerback recorded 33 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, 3 interceptions and 6 passes defensed in 13 games during his junior season–earning 2nd-Team All-SEC honors

Via his NFL.com draft profile:

"Nov 29, 2014; Tallahassee, FL, USA; Florida Gators defensive back Quincy Wilson (12) intercepts Florida State Seminoles quarterback Jameis Winston (not pictured) during the first quarter at Doak Campbell Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY SportsDRAFT PROJECTIONRound 2SOURCES TELL US“He may not be that clean with his coverage but I would rather go to war with him over (Teez) Tabor any day. He’s big and he’s tough. Tabor has more talent but Wilson just has to find the right spot because he’s got the mindset to be a pro player.” — AFC executiveNFL COMPARISONTre’ BostonBOTTOM LINEWilson rose to prominence this year after finishing with three interceptions and allowing fewer than 40 percent of the passes his way to be completed. His size and physicality combined with issues in staying glued to quick receivers could lead him to the safety spot where his instincts, ball skills and willingness to tackle will all serve him well."

It’s worth noting that per Pro Football Focus, his NFL draft comparison is to Chiefs All-Pro & Pro Bowl cornerback Marcus Peters–a player whom new Colts general manager Chris Ballard played a pivotal role in selecting during the first round in 2015 while serving in Kansas City’s front office:

"Player comparison: Marcus Peters, Kansas City ChiefsWhether or not Wilson can make an impact in the NFL early in his career like Peters did remains a big question mark, but like Peters he is more than willing to gamble to try and make a big play. That led to nine interceptions from Peters as a rookie, but also saw him 1,057 yards on throws into his coverage."

There’s no question that the Colts clearly needed help at cornerback, as beyond #1 cornerback, Vontae Davis, there is little else in the cupboard.

As you may recall, the Colts released last year’s oft-injured starter, Patrick Robinson, and before the selection of Wilson, backup cornerback Rashaan Melvin was the projected starter.

Melvin played well for the Colts last season, but is probably best served as a team’s 3rd or 4th cornerback–not a starter.

Certainly creating more of a need for a cornerback is that veteran slot cornerback Darius Butler is expected to transition more to safety–meaning the Colts clearly were in need of a starting caliber cornerback.

Wilson will presumably start on the outside on the other side of Davis with Melvin expected to take over nickelback duties as it stands (although a defined role for Butler remains unclear).

Here’s what others are saying:

Overall, while pass rush remains a major need, the Colts have significantly upgraded their secondary with the additions of Ohio State safety Malik Hooker in Round 1 and now a starting caliber cornerback in Quincy Wilson.

We’ll see what Chris Ballard has in-store for Round 3.