Chicago Bears select Marquess Wilson in seventh round of NFL draft

Sunday, April 28, 2013

Yesterday, the Chicago Bears selected Washington State University's Marquess Wilson as a seventh-round pick in the National Football League (NFL) Draft. Wilson was the 236th pick overall.

Wilson comes to the Bears organization following a tumultuous final season of university football. He quit his team after nine games following abuse accusations he made against Washington State's head coach Mike Leach. In talking with the Chicago Tribune, he said "I feel like I could have handled it a little better but like I said I am just moving forward [...] I am excited about the opportunity I have at hand."

Chicago Bears head coach Marc Trestman said regarding Wilson's selection, "I would consider it a young guy making a very, very small mistake that put him in a position that got him in trouble. [...] I think that like any young guy, I am a parent, we’re parents here. Our kids have made mistakes along the way. He’s a good kid with a big upside. He’s come to the right place. He’s come to a locker room where we have players and coaches that will set him straight right from the beginning and get him going the right direction. It’s an exciting opportunity for us to grow a young man, to allow him to mature off the field as well as on it and the upside as a talent, we’re very excited about it."

The 20-year-old draft pick's university highlights included playing in 33 games with 27 starts, where he had 189 receptions for 3,207 yards for an average of 17 yards per catch. He also had 23 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he made 82 receptions that he converted into 1,388 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The team was able to pick Wilson because they traded their 20th selection pick in the fifth round to the Atlanta Falcons for a 30th round pick in the fifth round and an additional draft pick in the seventh round.

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Sources

Larry Mayer. "Bears see Wilson as good kid who made bad decision" — Chicago Bears, April 27, 2013
Brad Biggs. "Bears roll the dice on WR Wilson" — Chicago Tribune, April 27, 2013
Steven Schweickert. "2013 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears Trade Down In Fifth Round" — Windy City Gridiron, April 27, 2013

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