Described by coaches as ultra-competitive, confident, smart and fierce, Logan Wilson will be a welcomed addition to the Bengals linebacking corps after Cincinnati selected him No. 65 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.
The Casper, Wyoming native is one of the most productive and versatile linebackers in the 2020 draft class. A quick look at five things to know about Wilson.
1. Senior Bowl Success
A good showing at the 2020 Senior Bowl no doubt helped Wilson's stock. Wilson played on the North squad, but his showing caught the eye of the Bengals' coaches and scouts. His success in Mobile wasn't a surprise to many after a stellar 2019 season. Wilson was a finalist for the 2019 Butkus Award, which is given to the best linebacker in college football. He was the only finalist who wasn't from a Power 5 school.
2. Effort Equals Output
Among active players in 2019, Wilson ranked No. 1 among active FBS players in the nation in career defensive touchdowns with four and career solo tackles with 421. He also ranked fourth among linebackers in career interception returns for touchdowns and sixth in interceptions. As a senior Wilson earned second-team All-American honors from USA Today and was a first-team All-Mountain West choice after his senior season.
3. Position Switch
Wilson was a part of coach Craig Bohl's second recruiting class at Wyoming. He came in the summer of 2015 as a 6-foot-2, 205-pound safety. Over the next five years, Wilson added 45 pounds and moved to the linebacker position. At Wyoming he also served as a team captain for three consecutive seasons and was a starter on four consecutive bowl-eligible teams in 2016, '17, '18 and '19.
4. The Pride of Casper
Wilson evolved into one of the state's top defensive players during his time at Natrona County High School in Casper. He was valued so much that Wilson played a variety of positions, eventually earning all-state honors at four positions: cornerback, receiver, punter and kicker.
5. Wyoming The New NFL Pipeline
Wilson is the second Casper native in the last three years to be drafted by an NFL team. Taven Bryan was selected in the first round by Jacksonville with the 29th overall selection back in 2018. The Bengals selection of Wilson also makes it four consecutive years that the Wyoming program had had at least one player taken in the draft. It's the school's longest such streak since the 1990s.
