There could be a lot of “next man up” playing out in Cleveland this Sunday. With 16 players on the injured list and at least five starters on iffy status, the team’s depth is going to be tested.
One spot where the Browns should feel pretty good is at linebacker, where injured Christian Kirksey would be replaced by rookie Mack Wilson.
Kirksey is out with a chest injury. The team captain and greybeard of the defense is getting more evaluations, but the prognosis does not look promising in the short term. That means it’s time for Wilson, who has played sparingly in the first two regular season games.
It’s a big jump for the fifth-round rookie from Alabama, but everything Wilson has demonstrated in his first few months in Cleveland exudes legitimate promise.
Coach Freddie Kitchens was asked if he was pleased with Wilson’s performance at the end of the Monday Night Football win over the Jets.
“Mack did well,” Kitchens responded. “I do not know what he recorded stat-wise, but I think he had 11 or 12 plays and four tackles or something like that.”
Wilson played well enough over the summer to win the Maurice Bassett Award as the team’s most impressive rookie in training camp. His coverage ability shone throughout camp and the preseason.
He’s not Kirksey as a run defender yet, not as aggressive or sturdy in the hole. And Wilson cannot match Kirksey’s leadership. But the rookie has shown enough for the Browns to have confidence in his ability to step up.
