Wilson is playing the best football of his career in 2023.
Coming off a disappointing 2022 season, there were questions about Mack Wilson’s future as a member of the New England Patriots. The offseason trade acquisition, after all, had failed to leave his mark on the team’s defense and was effectively benched down the stretch.
However, the team still saw something in the former fifth-round draft pick. Wilson was re-signed to a one-year contract in March, seemingly to give him another opportunity to prove himself.
And prove himself he did.
Over the course of the 2023 season, Wilson developed from a rotational off-the-ball linebacker into a true hybrid capable of playing both on and off the ball. Filling a role similar to the one played by former Patriots Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy, he has become a valuable member of a defense that is among the best in the NFL.
How did that happen, though? How did Wilson turn from afterthought status to a breakout player? For linebackers coach and de facto co-defensive coordinator Jerod Mayo, it all starts with his usage and the team admitting a mistake.
“Coming out of last year, Steve [Belichick] and I felt we kind of let Mack down on some of the things that we knew he was good at but at the same time didn’t want to really overload his plate,” Mayo admitted. “I would say, coming into this season, we said, ‘Look, we have to get this guy on the field. He’s explosive, he’s fast, he can play various roles.’
“And, honestly, over the last few months he’s been doing a good job in those roles. Obviously, he’s more comfortable in the defense, but he’s doing a great job for us. He can rush, he’s fast, he can do all the things that the fast defensive ends do in the league, plus play off the ball.”
Mayo’s thoughts on Wilson being miscast in 2022 were not news to the man himself. In fact, he had that very same conversation with both him and Belichick after that season and heading into 2023.
“At the end of the year I talked to Mayo and Steve. They kind of told me what they told you in the media,” Wilson said on Thursday.
“I was just like, ‘Alright,’ and I went into the offseason with the right mindset to get myself ready for what’s next, what’s the next chapter. Obviously, they reached out with a deal, I came back, and I talked to Mayo and Steve again. They basically just were like, ‘It’s going to be different this time around.’ I was able to take advantage of whatever opportunity I was getting this year, and making the most of them.”
When Wilson made the jump from Alabama to the NFL in 2019, he did so against the advice of Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban. Saban felt that the young linebacker cost himself of potential early-round status by leaving school after only one season as a starter.
Nonetheless, Wilson entered the league. He was drafted 155th overall by the Cleveland Browns that year, and was confronted with some of the problems Saban foresaw.
Joining a team that was soon to undergo major personnel changes, the still-developing linebacker failed to carve out a clear role in the Browns’ defense. He was employed primarily off the ball, with only a handful of his snaps coming on the edge. Unable to fully prove his value as a versatile defender, he saw his playing time decrease each season before eventually being traded to New England in 2022.
The Patriots initially used Wilson as a class off-ball linebacker as well. Three fourths of his defensive snaps that season — 182 of 234 — saw him align in that position, but he was unable to make a consistently positive impact out of it.
As a result, Mayo and Belichick decided to mix things up for 2023. Wilson still started out the year as a depth option both on and off the ball, but a series of injuries on the defensive edge forced the team’s hand: he had already seen increased action on the line of scrimmage throughout the season, but after New England’s Week 11 bye was fully thrown into a hybrid role moving between spots.
That change of usage has worked well; Wilson is playing arguably the best football of his career right now and is heading into Week 17 with an active three-game streak of registering at least one sack.
“He just keeps making plays, keeps getting more opportunities, and is more productive with them,” said Steve Belichick, who is effectively coordinating the New England defense alongside Jerod Mayo. “Working with Mack has been awesome, even last year. But this year, he just keeps growing as a person and as a player. It’s fun to see.”
The Patriots’ coaches deserve credit for realizing Wilson’s potential. However, the player himself also cannot be left out of a discussion about his development: the 25-year-old is the one who needs to turn theory into practice.
Wilson has been able to do that, despite his last few seasons being a challenge. After seeing his opportunities in Cleveland decrease and getting traded, he seemingly found himself in a similar situation as a Patriot. However, he has been able to overcome the obstacles in his way through both internal and external faith.
“Keeping my faith and believing in myself when things are not going right,” he said when asked about his growth. “It could have been easy for me to just tuck my tail, not work this hard, not be prepared when my number’s called.
“It’s tough, honestly, and I just try my best to keep my head up and continue to work, because at the end of the day I know my value and I know what I’m capable of; I know the type of player I am; I know what I bring to the game; I know what I bring to this organization. It was just a matter of time when it would show.”
It took until halfway through his second season as a Patriot, but it has indeed started to show.
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