Chargers 90 in 90: CB Chris Wilcox

Chris Wilcox is a native of Fontana, California, where he prepped at Eleanor Roosevelt High School. He was rated as a two-star recruit by several scouting platforms. In his senior season in 2015, he recorded 71 tackles, two forced fumbles, one interception and one fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. He was also a star on the track, running the 100m in 10.68, the 200m in 21.86 and the 400m in 47.97.

After receiving little interest from Division 1 programs, Wilcox chose Brigham Young University over programs like Southern Utah and UC Davis.

Wilcox appeared in nine games as a rookie but recorded just nine total tackles. His snap count skyrocketed in 2017, when he set a career high with 37 tackles and five pass defenses in 12 games.

During the 2018 season, Wilcox was limited to nine games, but still managed 28 tackles, two tackles for loss, which is a career high, and two more pass defenses. The 2019 season was ended prematurely when Wilcox was ruled out for the year in week one.

Wilcox returned in 2020 and played in nine games, but recorded just 18 tackles and a single pass breakup. After his final college season, Wilcox got a chance to hear his name called on draft weekend when the Buccaneers selected him with the 24th pick in the seventh round.

Unfortunately, Wilcox was released during the team’s final cuts this year. However, he joined the Colts via waivers but spent the 2021 season mostly on the practice squad before being released in September 2022. He remained unemployed until December 2022, when he was signed by the Cardinals for the remainder of the season.

Just about a month later, Wilcox was signed by the Steelers, where he spent the offseason before being released again later that year in August.

Wilcox landed with the Chargers in September 2023, where he stayed for the entire season before signing a reserve/futures contract in January 2024.

Basic information

Height: 1.88 m
Weight: 195
University: BYU
Experience: 3
Years in the team: One

Contract status

“Chris Wilcox has signed a 1-year, $795,000 contract with the Los Angeles Chargers, including an average annual salary of $795,000. In 2024, Wilcox will earn a base salary of $795,000, with a salary cap hit of $795,000.” – Spotrac.com

The good

When Wilcox came out of BYU, he was considered a promising young player with a combination of size, weight and speed that would attract interest from teams looking to try a player with a loner personality.

His size and length naturally improve his break on the catch. When the leg game is tight, he can click and close quickly.

His athletic profile suggests he is a good fit as a special teams shooter, so it is likely that he could have the greatest impact on a team in that role.

The bad

An inexperienced player who is still learning the position well enough to accommodate his outstanding athleticism. Was injured too often at BYU, causing him to miss a lot of time he could have used to develop before entering the NFL.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com described Wilcox as a lumbering player who failed to consistently match his footwork to his overall speed. While he could easily transition to covering long routes, he had trouble gathering himself before changing direction to deflect passes underneath.

Chances of being included in the squad/What awaits us in 2024?

I expect the Chargers to keep six cornerbacks on the active roster, and Wilcox is completely out of the picture, along with the UDFAs and Matt Hankins. Ultimately, I believe the Chargers will part ways with Wilcox and opt to keep other younger cornerbacks on the practice squad when the time comes to make those decisions.