New England's Wilson enters camp with a chip on his shoulder

Tavon Wilson was projected by some sites as a sixth or seventh round draft pick. So when the Patriots selected the Illinois defensive back with the 48th overall pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, needless to say, a lot of people were surprised.

With camp underway, Wilson finds himself in a precarious position.

Wilson was dubbed a stupid pick by some after the draft, and with little exposure or attention following a four-year career with the Fighting Illini, the rookie has a lot to prove on the football field. ESPNBoston's Mike Reiss wrote a story profiling Wilson following the draft. He highlighted the fact that although there was a wide consensus that Wilson was a "reach" pick in the second round, Patriots' coach Bill Belichick didn't see it that way.

Of the 32 teams in the NFL, only one saw Wilson as second-round talent. That same team drafted him. With that said, in a way, Wilson may not be in a precarious position at all. He is playing for the team that wanted him most with a chance to prove all the naysayers wrong. He has the opportunity to show everyone his worth and that he deserved to be selected in the spot he was and he deserves to be paid accordingly. Should he do that, the Patriots second round draft choice will pay hefty dividends.

On the same token, should Wilson struggle, the draftniks will be right. With around a $1 million-per-year salary, Wilson won't last very long in New England. If he doesn't fit into the system, he could find himself a casualty of Belichick's cutting block in the next two to three years. And like Terrence Wheatley and Darius Butler before him, Wilson will find himself just another second-round secondary castoff.