Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Michael Wilson is gearing up for his second year in the NFL with a sense of confidence and readiness that contrasts sharply with his rookie season.
Wilson, now more experienced and assured, feels he has a solid grasp on the playbook and a clear understanding of his role in the offense. “Truthfully, it’s night and day. It’s not even comparable,” Wilson told Arizona Sports’ Wolf & Luke on Tuesday. “The game I feel like is so much slower. It’s not college ball, but the speed of the game has slowed down by a significant amount because my head’s not spinning about the playbook, my head’s not spinning about making mistakes, my head’s not spinning about what guys I’m going up against. I’m way more confident in my game.”
A New Perspective
Last year, Wilson admits he was just trying to keep up. “Last year, I was just out there doing my best. I didn’t understand the offense. Now, I’m looking at it from sort of the offensive coordinator’s perspective and (Kyler Murray’s) perspective. I understand the coverage we’re trying to exploit, the matchup we’re trying to exploit. I can’t even articulate how night and day it is from last year to this year.”
Despite struggling to fully grasp the offense and dealing with shoulder issues, Wilson still managed to make a significant impact in his rookie season. He caught 38 passes for 565 yards and three touchdowns over 13 games, tying for second in receiving touchdowns with tight end Trey McBride and ranking third in yards. Impressively, Wilson led the team in yards per catch, averaging 14.9 yards.
Stepping Up as WR2
Heading into his second season, Wilson is a prime candidate for the WR2 role in the Cardinals’ revamped wide receiver room. Although veteran wideout Zay Jones has been brought in to provide competition, Wilson has consistently been the frontrunner for the position throughout the offseason.
Wilson is determined to showcase his growth and improvement in key areas, including avoiding body catches, running through balls, trusting his hands, running with open strides, and staying tight against press coverage. “(Monday) was our first day of going full speed and truthfully this whole OTAs, what they told me to work on, I feel like I’ve made significant strides and put on tape that I was intentional and deliberate on focusing on the things they told me I need to get better at,” Wilson said. “I’m excited to see it on display come September time.”
With a renewed sense of confidence and a deeper understanding of the game, Michael Wilson is poised to make a significant impact in his second year with the Arizona Cardinals.
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