With the 48th overall pick in the 2nd round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the New England Patriots have selected former Illinois Fighting Illini free safety Tavon Wilson. Wilson was thought of as a Day 3 pick going into the NFL Draft, and the Patriots' selection of him in the 2nd round really came out of nowhere. He did not work out at the NFL Combine.

Wilson was an All-Big Ten honorable mention in 2010. His stats from 2011 actually look much better, but he didn't receive any honors, perhaps because the Illini were so disappointing in the Big Ten. He had 81 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, one interception, one forced fumble, two fumbles recovered and a defensive touchdown for Illinois.

He ran an impressive 4.52 40-yard dash at his pro day and is thought of as a safety-cornerback tweener.

Earlier in the draft, the Patriots traded up twice in the first round to get defensive end Chandler Jones and linebacker Dont'a Hightower, respectively.

For more on Wilson, head over to Illinois Fighting Illini blog Hail To The Orange and New England Patriots blog Pats Pulpit.