Mack Wilson had to wait and wait and wait. But finally, in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, the former Alabama linebacker was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 155th overall pick Saturday. According to Spotrac, the total value of Wilson’s rookie deal will be $2.827 million based on his designated slot in the rookie wage scale. One of the most polarizing players in the program’s recent history, the Montgomery product was one of seven Crimson Tide juniors who entered the NFL draft in January. A hard-hitting linebacker, Wilson attracted as much attention off the field as he did when he was on it. In large part that had to do with his social media presence. Wilson’s postings on Twitter and Instagram often obscured his accomplishments at inside linebacker, where he proved he could be a force. Wilson produced 119 tackles and also snagged six interceptions in 42 games during his Alabama career. Now his NFL career begins in earnest with an ascending team led by an Alabama alum, head coach Freddie Kitchens. Rainer Sabin is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @RainerSabin<doc-sep>The Cleveland Browns selected Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson with the No. 155 overall selection in the 2019 NFL Draft. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compared Wilson to New York Jets linebacker CJ Mosely. "He is today's version of an NFL linebacker with adequate size, plus strength and toughness, speed pursue and an ability to handle coverage duties on any down. Wilson is like a classically trained musician who hits his notes on time, but the question is whether or not he can play as a free-form, improvisational talent when the opportunity arises. Either way, he's a solid, three-down starter in any defensive scheme," Zierlein wrote. For most of the process, Wilson was regarded as a late first or second round selection. Zierlein had him graded as being in the third or fourth rounds. Alabama head coach Nick Saban had hoped that he would return to school. Wilson was rated a .9884 on a scale to 100 by the 247Sports Composite out of Carver High School in Montgomery, Alabama. He chose the Crimson Tide over offers from Georgia, Clemson, Ohio State, LSU and Michigan among others. A report surfaced that week that inside linebacker Joe Schobert's name had been brought up in trade conversations. It does not sound as though Cleveland initiated those talks. The Browns already drafted Sione Takitaki, who has the versatility to play inside or outside linebacker. Christian Kirksey and Schobert are projected as two of the three starting linebackers. Genard Avery and free agent signee Adarius Taylor are expected to compete for the other starting role. Xavier Woodson-Luster, Ray-Ray Armstrong and D'Juan Hines are the other linebackers on the roster. It was clearly identified as a position of need. The Draft is nearly complete. Sign up for insider access only at Cleveland Browns on 247Sports today and take advantage of our FREE trial! The Browns have seven selections in the 2019 NFL Draft beginning with the No. 49 overall selection, which they used on LSU cornerback Greedy Williams. Strong safety, offensive tackle, cornerback, outside linebacker and defensive tackle would seem to be the most pressing needs for the team to address. In the off-season, General Manager John Dorsey has traded for defensive end Olivier Vernon and wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. As part of those deals, they traded offensive guard Kevin Zeitler and strong safety Jabrill Peppers. The team also signed running back Kareem Hunt, defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson, tight end Demetrius Harris and some depth along the offensive line. The Browns have $33,627, 575 in salary cap space, which is the fourth most across the NFL, according to the daily generated NFL Player's Association report. Here are the remaining selections currently: Rd (2) - 46 - Greedy Williams, CB, LSU Rd (3) - 80 - Sione Takitaki, LB, BYU Rd (4) - 119 - Sheldrick Redwine, S, Miami Rd (5) - 155 - Mack Wilson, LB, Alabama Rd (5) - 170 Rd (6) - 189 Rd (7) - 221<doc-sep>How did Mack Wilson fall to the Cleveland Browns in the fifth-round of the 2019 NFL Draft? A look into why, and what his ceiling/floor may end up being. Where he plays: Wilson is best suited for middle linebacker position. Joe Schobert is penciled in as the start at the position. The knock: Wilson didn’t improve a whole from his sophomore to junior seasons. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler wrote it, as did NFL.com’s Lances Zierlein, who quoted a source before the draft as stating the same. The potential: Even a casual football can recognize Wilson’s athleticism. He was a five-star recruit for a reason. Ceiling: Despite not living up to his five-star recurring potential in college, Wilson could still figure things out. He’s viewed as an every down linebacker and is capable of going sideline-to-sideline. He can defend against the run and he’s also very good in coverage. Zierlein comparedhim to C.J. Mosely, the former Baltimore Ravens linebacker who just signed a mega-million deal with the New York Jets. If Wilson becomes C.J. Mosely, the Browns have one of the steals in the draft. Joe Schobert are going into a contract year and while I think trade rumors involving the Penn State product are done, Wilson may be his replacement. Look no further than last season, when the Browns found Genard Avery in the fifth round. He was a role player as a rookie and now has a shot to start. Floor: The floor for Wilson will be as a special teams player. He can be an instant help to the unit, but if that’s all the Browns get from him, then the pick shouldn’t be considered a very good one. How did he fall: Mocksters had him going mostly in the second round. Few had him falling into the fifth, perhaps with the exception of Pro Football Focus. The site, which leans heavily on analytics, had him as the 127th best player on their board. Just based off that, he would’ve been the second-to-last pick in the fourth round. “Wilson checks a lot of boxes in that he’s as a former five-star recruit coming out of Alabama, but he’s yet to prove he can turn his limitless potential into results on the field. In his last two years with the Crimson Tide, Wilson earned sub-72.0 overall grades.” When you start getting to the fifth round, the percentages of finding a starter drop dramatically. With that said, Dorsey found Avery, and while he was with the Chiefs, he found Tyreek Hill in the same round back when he was running the draft in Kansas City. He has a reputation for making this his wheelhouse and he’ll get the chance to bring Wilson slowly as a role player.<doc-sep>It was pick 155 that Cleveland took Alabama LB Mack Wilson with. The pick addresses one of Cleveland’s few positions of need and it is one I personally think is the most desperate need at this point. Will the NFL wash him out in a few years or could he be a stalwart of the defense? Only time and his development will tell, but for now, let’s see where Wilson fits with Browns. Wilson can play both in coverage and has the speed to go downhill. If it translates to the NFL level, Wilson could be a huge help as a possible starter in the future. The three projected starters for this year likely come down to Joe Schobert, Christian Kirksey, Adarious Taylor, and Genard Avery. He will be battling for spots in the rotation with fellow rookie Sione Takitaki and Ray Ray Armstrong. This also assumes that recently acquired DE Olivier Vernon will be sticking to the line and not dropping back a level. What Wilson excels in is pass coverage. Last year, according to Pro Football Focus, he had the most targets of any SEC LB in this year’s draft and he had the fifth-lowest passer rating allowed. That is in a conference that isn’t necessarily known for its QB play though. In all likelihood, Wilson will not be cracking the starting lineup in year 1. We should definitely see him in the rotation though, especially on later downs. If the Browns can get pressure (and by all means they should), his job should be relatively easy. Wilson’s ceiling is replacing Browns LB Christian Kirksey as a starter in a couple of years. His floor is rotational depth and that could suit the Browns well as the expectations for this upcoming season are only growing.<doc-sep>
SANTA CLARA, CA - JANUARY 07: Mark Fields #2 of the Clemson Tigers is tackled by Mack Wilson #30 of the Alabama Crimson Tide during the second half in the CFP National Championship presented by AT&T at Levi's Stadium on January 7, 2019 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) The Cleveland Browns were able to make another good value pick, selecting Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson in the fifth round. The Cleveland Browns have been focusing on the defensive side of the ball during the 2019 NFL Draft. That continued in the fifth round when they selected Alabama linebacker Mack Wilson. Linebacker was seen as a need in the draft for the Browns because of their lack of depth at the position. After releasing Jamie Collins earlier in the offseason, the Browns signed Adarius Taylor in free agency and drafted Sione Takitaki in the third round. Both Taylor and Takitaki are seen as role players who will either play on special teams or in sub-packages. But Wilson is a player who has the potential of being a three-down linebacker for the Browns defense. Wilson was viewed as one of the better linebackers in the class and was expected to be selected in the first three rounds of the draft. But as Wilson started to slide in the draft, reports surfaced that there were attitude questions with the Alabama product. Matt Miller of Bleacher Report graded Wilson as the third best linebacker in the class. Despite not developing much in his final season with the Crimson Tide, Miller thinks Wilson can step in day one and be an immediate starter. “Wilson was a solid starter at Alabama and comes with all of the normal Crimson Tide linebacker traits of speed, toughness and production. He has proven chops on third downs but has seemed to plateau on his growth and development. He’s a high-floor, low-ceiling player, but he should be a long-term NFL starter.” – Miller, Bleacher Report There were not many players who were still available who are as talented as Wilson. Although there may be concerns about Wilson’s attitude, John Dorsey is not going to pass on a talented player like Wilson this late in the draft because of attitude concerns. And the Browns will have some intel on Wilson’s attitude because of defensive line coach Tosh Lupoi, who was the Alabama defensive coordinator last season and the linebackers coach from 2016-2018. If Wilson can step in immediately and be a starter for the Cleveland Browns defense, this is a great selection. Wilson may not have much more potential to tap into, but the player he currently is will provide help to the middle of the Browns defense. Grade: A