Connecticut cornerback Blidi Wreh-Wilson is ranked as the No. 61 player on the player rankings from SB Nation's Dan Kadar and the eighth-best cornerback, but he may be a surprising first-round pick, according to Tony Pauline of USA Today.
Wreh-Wilson, 6'1, 195 pounds, has the length that has become increasingly attractive at the cornerback position and his 4.39 40-yard dash time at his pro day certainly makes him an intriguing physical prospect. In four seasons with the Huskies, Wreh-Wilson recorded eight interceptions, but just one in his senior season as teams began to avoid throwing toward the player that was eventually named the team's MVP.
Pauline tweeted that sources have told him Wreh-Wilson could be a late-first round pick, where there are a few teams with a need at cornerback. Among those teams are the Patriots and Bears, while the Lions and Steelers are among the teams that have met privately with Wreh-Wilson.
In the latest collaborative mock draft from Kadar and Matthew Fairburn, Wreh-Wilson managed to earn a spot in the first round, as he was slated to be selected by the Patriots:
Blidi Wreh-Wilson may be a surprise to some, but he's a name to keep an eye on late in the first round. A run on cornerbacks could start in this range of the draft, and the Patriots have shown some interest in the Connecticut defensive back. He's flying under the radar, but Wreh-Wilson is in the mix in the second tier of cornerbacks.
If selected in the first round, Wreh-Wilson would be the second-ever UConn player to go in the top 32 picks, joining running back Donald Brown who was selected at No. 27 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft. A total of 15 Huskies have been drafted all-time, including seven in the past five years.
More from SB Nation:
• Pats Pulpit: A Patriot for life
• NFL mock draft: Trades shake up first round
• The NFL draft's most overrated QBs
• The best NFL draft picks of the century
• Mark Sanchez "completely understands" QB competition
• Draft hopefuls trash hotel room in blind item