Logan Wilson sums up his value with one-handed interception at Bengals practice
Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson made the type of play at practice on Monday that showcased why the Bengals drafted him in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft, why they made him a starter in 2021 and why they gave him a contract extension in 2023.
On a passing play at the goal line, Wilson dropped back in coverage. When quarterback Jake Browning scrambled outside of the pocket, Wilson picked up running back Joe Mixon in man-to-man coverage. When Browning tried to loft a pass over Wilson to Mixon in the back corner of the end zone, Wilson made a one-handed leaping interception.
On this play, Wilson looked like he was Tee Higgins reeling in a high throw in the end zone.
“I’ve always prided myself on making plays on the ball,” Wilson said. “When those opportunities arise, they’re rare. You’ve got to make the most of them. I didn’t realize that I had a shot until the very end. I had Mixon in man coverage. Browning tried to flip the ball up and over me, and I just made a play.”
Most NFL teams don’t invest as much in two off-ball linebackers as the Bengals have, but most linebackers aren’t turnover creators like Wilson and Germaine Pratt.
Pratt made the interception at the goal line against the Las Vegas Raiders in the playoffs two years ago, and he stripped Travis Kelce of the ball for a fumble in the fourth quarter against the Kansas City Chiefs last year. He’s the Bengals’ best player at finding the football and working to jar it loose.
Wilson is one of the most natural coverage linebackers in the NFL. He proved how high his ceiling was in 2021 when he picked off former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger twice. On one of those plays, he read Roethlisberger’s eyes just like he read Browning’s eyes on Monday.
Wilson has a long track record of making plays like this one. Against the New York Jets last season, he dropped back 30 yards in coverage and made a leaping interception down the field. He had four pass breakups last year, and the Bengals trust him in challenging assignments over the middle of the field on third downs.
“We preach turnovers around here,” Pratt said. “It’s outstanding for a linebacker to have range like that and be able to make that play on the ball. We put in the work, and the results will show. It’s showing up late in this training camp because the offense is actually working the middle of the field and letting the linebackers make plays on the ball like that.”
The Bengals fell in love with Wilson at the Senior Bowl in 2020 because of his instincts in coverage and his ability to track down interceptions. Wilson has said that he knew that he really belonged in the NFL when he got his first pick in the league. Wilson’s communication at the line of scrimmage and his ability to diagnose an offense puts himself and his teammates in better position to make plays. On Sunday, cornerback Mike Hilton recorded an interception because of that communication.
Wilson and Pratt have barely been a topic of conversation at Bengals training camp because everyone has gotten used to the production level that the Bengals are getting at that position.
“There has been a build up over time as I gained more confidence in my abilities and more comfort in the system,” Wilson said. “I understand what I can do at this level, learned about my weaknesses and improved those. When you start to get in that process, you see a jump.”
More observations from Monday’s practice
-D’Ante Smith, Cody Ford and Max Scharping are the most likely offensive linemen to be on the active roster as backups in Week 1. Scharping’s versatility has also given the Bengals more flexibility in shaping the 53-man roster. Scharping learned the center position during the offseason, and he looks like the primary backup behind Ted Karras.
“I definitely feel more comfortable, but there are still things I need to work on and think about that I wouldn’t have to when I was playing guard. I’m a lot more comfortable,” Scharping said. “Against Atlanta, I thought I played pretty well. I wanted back a few snaps. I wish we could have been more firm on a couple protections. But overall, we played pretty well.”
-Bengals defensive end Tarell Basham was back in pads for his first practice in a few weeks after dealing with a lower-body injury. Running back Trayveon Williams remains out with an ankle injury. Defensive end Cam Sample (undisclosed) worked on the rehab field. Defensive end Myles Murphy has recovered from an illness, and he had his best day of training camp rushing off the edge on Monday. Ford and cornerback Marvell Tell are in concussion protocol.
This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson continues his impressive training camp
