Patriots extra points: Marco Wilson bringing athleticism, confidence to secondary

FOXBORO — Patriots cornerback Marco Wilson came to training camp as an afterthought in a crowded secondary but has emerged as a potential surprise starter three weeks in.

So, in his own words, what could Wilson bring to the Patriots’ defense?

“Someone that’s more athletic than anybody that’s going to be on that field, and someone whose attention to detail is very high,” Wilson said. “I feel like that’s something that I pride myself in. I’m not someone who’s going to be having mental mistakes and things like that. I’m pretty locked in on the details when I’m out there, and that makes the big difference of playing such a hard position.”

Wilson ran a blazing 4.35-second 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2021 with a 43-inch vertical leap, 11-feet, 4-inch broad jump, 4.09-second short shuttle, 6.80-second 3-cone drill and 26 bench press reps of 225 pounds. He scored a 9.99 out of 10 relative athletic score.

Extra points

Patriots defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery said the competition at his position will be settled on the practice field and in the preseason. “What you put on that film doesn’t lie. So, whether you like it or not, we’re going to find the most consistent player who can help us.” … With Christian Barmore currently out with blood clots, Davon Godchaux and Daniel Ekuale are two locks for interior defensive line spots. That leaves Jeremiah Pharms, Armon Watts, Mike Purcell, Trysten Hill, Sam Roberts and Josiah Bronson likely competing for three spots … Montgomery recruited and coached Purcell at Wyoming. He said he’s currently “whooping him into shape … Hill still has untapped potential, according to Montgomery. “I think he’s got a lot more upside as a rusher.” … Pharms excelled in Thursday’s preseason opener with a sack and five total hurries. “He did what he was supposed to do. When he got 1-on-1 blocks, he got off of them and made plays.”