Chicago Bears select Marquess Wilson in seventh round of NFL draft

April 28, 2013

Yesterday, the selected 's  as a seventh-round pick in the National Football League (NFL). Wilson was the 236th pick overall.

Wilson comes to the Bears organization following a tumultuous final season of university football. He quit his team after nine games following abuse accusations he made against Washington State's head coach. In talking with the , he said "I feel like I could have handled it a little better but like I said I am just moving forward [...] I am excited about the opportunity I have at hand."

Chicago Bears head coach said regarding Wilson's selection, "I would consider it a young guy making a very, very small mistake that put him in a position that got him in trouble. [...] I think that like any young guy, I am a parent, we’re parents here. Our kids have made mistakes along the way. He’s a good kid with a big upside. He’s come to the right place. He’s come to a locker room where we have players and coaches that will set him straight right from the beginning and get him going the right direction. It’s an exciting opportunity for us to grow a young man, to allow him to mature off the field as well as on it and the upside as a talent, we’re very excited about it."

The 20-year-old draft pick's university highlights included playing in 33 games with 27, where he had 189 for 3,207 yards for an average of 17 yards per catch. He also had 23 touchdowns. As a sophomore, he made 82 receptions that he converted into 1,388 yards and 12 touchdowns.

The team was able to pick Wilson because they traded their 20th selection pick in the fifth round to the for a 30th round pick in the fifth round and an additional draft pick in the seventh round.