No. 4 – Vikings LB Eric Wilson
This is a name that too often falls under the radar on the free agent market, but if the Washington Football Team wants a younger, high-upside replacement for Kevin Pierre-Louis, then Vikings linebacker Eric Wilson is an excellent option, who might cost less than the more recognizable players above him.
Wilson, who stands at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds, checks almost all of the necessary boxes. He’s only 26 years old, he’s versatile, and he produced at a super high clip in 2020. Wilson started 15 of 16 possible games for Minnesota, amassing 122 tackles, 3.0 sacks, eight tackles for loss, three interceptions, eight pass deflections, a forced fumble, and two fumble recoveries. He also allowed a passer rating of just 74.3 in coverage.
On top of that mile-long stat sheet, Wilson is also an elite athlete. He wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine back in 2017, but at his Cincinnati pro day, Wilson logged a 4.53 40-yard dash (with an insane 2.50 20-yard split), a 39.5-inch vertical, a 121-inch broad jump, and a sub-7.00 three-cone.
Wilson quite literally checks every single box, and yet, there isn’t as much buzz surrounding him. That screams a potential value deal for the Washington Football Team, and they should take it before someone else wises up to the opportunity.