After Detour, Divaad Wilson Finds His NFL Path

Most rookie free agents would have been pretty geeked.

Divaad Wilson went undrafted in April and was cut by the Jaguars after the preseason, so Sunday marked quite an ascension, as he played every single defensive snap at outside cornerback for the Cardinals.

Wilson often matched up with Diontae Johnson or George Pickens and ended up allowing two catches on five targets with a passer rating against of 68.7.

While many 23-year-olds would have celebrated that accomplishment, Wilson was subdued.

“My emotions,” he said over the phone on Wednesday, “were not necessarily all over the place. I’m big on manifestation and letting God take the wheel. I knew it was a matter of time. It was just a matter of when.”

To better understand Wilson’s calculated mindset, one must understand his journey.

He was a four-star recruit from  Miami, Florida in 2018 and had offers from Alabama, Michigan, Georgia and others out of high school. 

Wilson began his college career at UGA but had some missteps, and ended up transferring to Central Florida after two seasons. He totaled 113 tackles and five interceptions in his final two years with the Knights. 

Wilson is 6-feet tall and 190 pounds with a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, so when asked why someone with his measurables, pedigree and production wasn’t drafted, he was blunt.

“Off the field issues,” Wilson said.

While he didn’t delve into specifics, Wilson readily acknowledges he was immature in college.

Now with a clean slate in the NFL, he’s intent on living up to the moniker of a professional, which means a higher plane of responsibility.

“At some point in life you have to realize that you’re the problem, and that you have to adjust,” Wilson said. “Not necessarily change, but you have to adjust in order to move into the direction that you claim you want to be. I feel like that process molded me into a great football player but an even better man. It taught me a lot about life.”

Wilson feels fortunate to be in this position. While some rookies may lose their way after making it to the NFL, Divaad believes he’s already re-routed and back on track.

The Cardinals have cycled through a bunch of cornerbacks this season, whether due to injury or underperformance, and now Wilson is one of four rookies to see time, along with Garrett Williams, Kei’Trel Clark and Starling Thomas V.

He loves the setup alongside his peers who are also new to the league.

“It’s great,” said Wilson, who was signed to Arizona’s practice squad on September 4 after being cut by the Jaguars. “I’m the type of person that wants to see everyone win, no matter what. Even when I was on the practice squad for those weeks, any little nugget or tip I could give to the rookies, to help them elevate at a quicker pace, it was the right thing to do in my eyes. I’m grateful to be playing side-by-side with those guys.”

Wilson was barely a blip on the radar until Week 12 against the Rams, when he was elevated to the active roster and filled in for Thomas IV, who hurt his ankle in the contest.

With Thomas V and Antonio Hamillton sidelined against Pittsburgh, Arizona surprisingly went with Wilson on the outside instead of veteran Marco Wilson.

When asked to judge his performance against the Steelers, Wilson gave himself an 8 out of 10.

“It showed I belong, for real, for real,” he said.

Wilson played outside cornerback on Sunday, but also has experience at safety and in the slot. He is proud of that versatility, and even though Wilson has changed some of his behaviors off the field, he remains ultra-confident on it.

“I don’t like comparing myself to others, but I’m coming for Jalen Ramsey,” Wilson said. “I’m trying to be just like him, if not more. Because I play safety, nickel and corner at a high level. It’s just a matter of when I can showcase those talents to the world.”

Will he continue to see the field after the bye week? 

Wilson feels like his game tape has proven him ready for continued snaps, but that’s not a given when Thomas V and Hamilton get healthy enough to play again.

“I feel like it would, but the way life is set up, you don’t want to automatically jump the gun,” Wilson said. “If you get too ahead of yourself, that’s how disappointment comes about. However God wants it to happen, I’m not going to be mad, sad or jealous if they come back and I don’t play. I’m just filling in the spot until they get back, until God says it’s my time to go. So I’m chilling and grinding.”

One of Wilson’s go-to phrases is “grind and shine,” and that’s what he’s focused on now. However the final month ends up, he is intent on overcoming the past off-field issues and carving out an NFL career.

Wilson also has some advice for any younger prospects that are trudging a similar path.

“One thing I can say for any kids that do see this: Everybody can’t go with you,” Wilson said. “Friends, family, significant others – you have to plan out what you want for yourself, and if they don’t fit in that criteria, then you gotta let them go.”

Wilson did not get too low when he went undrafted or failed to make the Jaguars’ roster out of training camp. He is not in the clouds right now.

Wilson is hoping for an extended opportunity to shine, and he will stay even-keeled as the marathon continues.

“You’re so tied in to the grind, you don’t have time to let your feelings get involved,” Wilson said. “The journey was so hard, the emotions get ripped away from it, you know?”