With the 118th-overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Kansas City Chiefs selected University of Georgia inside linebacker Ramik Wilson. Wilson is going to come in and compete alongside Josh Mauga and James-Michael Johnson for playing time, while likely making an impact on special teams.
Wilson was projected to go around the third and fourth rounds, so this pick makes sense for general manager John Dorsey. Wilson ran a 4.77 40-yard dash, hurting his stock at the NFL Combine. He was highly productive as a senior for the Bulldogs, leading the team with 110 tackles.
At 6”2 and 237 pounds, Wilson has ideal size for a 3-4 inside linebacker. In defensive coordinator Bob Sutton’s scheme, Wilson would likely come in on first down if able to win a starting job before being subbed out in subpackages. Over at NFL.com, this is what an NFC East area scout had to say about Wilson:
"“I think he can play inside in a 3-4 as long as he’s not the ‘take on’ linebacker. In a 4-3, I think the SAM then WILL are his best spots in that order. I’m a little worried that he could get picked on in coverage in our league.”"
Wilson joins a draft class which has mostly enjoyed support from the Chiefs faithful. In the first round, Dorsey selected corner Marcus Peters out of Washington, before taking center Mitch Morse from Missouri in the second round. In the third, Dorsey added a receiver in Chris Conley out of Georgia before nabbing corner Steven Nelson out of Oregon State.
With both sides of the ball being addressed, it is clear Dorsey sees needs all over the roster. However, none outside of Peters and perhaps Conley are expected to be immediate starters. Eric Kush will battle in training camp with Morse, while Wilson will probably need some seasoning.