Bengals Roster Breakdown: Logan Wilson intercepted a pass while you were reading this

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.Today, we highlight the MIKE […]

John Sheeran — Cincinnati Bengals News Writer
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Logan Wilson
© Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Throughout the summer leading up to the regular season, we will go through the entire 2024 Cincinnati Bengals roster. Every single day until the season opener against the New England Patriots, we will break down a player on the roster including his background, contract status, and path towards making the team.

Today, we highlight the MIKE for the Bengals. Logan Wilson is entering his fourth year in the middle of Cincinnati's defense looking to add more game-changing interceptions to his resume.

Logan Wilson

  • Age: 28
  • Year: 5th
  • Position: Linebacker
  • College: Wyoming
  • Previous Teams: None
  • Jersey Number: 55

Wilson was drafted by the Bengals with the 65th overall pick in the third round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He spent five years at Wyoming and played in four of them after a redshirt season in 2015. He was originally a two-star wide receiver, but Wyoming signed him as a safety with the intent to move him to linebacker. The decision was a good one as he was named a Freshman All-American and the Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year in 2016. He earned team captain status and led the defense in tackles the following two years. As a senior captain in 2019, he was named First Team All-MWC, Second Team All-American, and a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker. He started 52 straight games for his entire playing career.

Immense production, agile athleticism, and impressive character traits all made Wilson a prime Day 2 target for the Bengals. The team would've considered drafting him in the second round had Tee Higgins not been available, so they waited to snag him at the top of the third round. Starting a draft by selecting Joe Burrow, Higgins, and Wilson is about as good as you could draw it up. Wilson began his Bengals career as the first linebacker off the bench behind Josh Bynes and Germaine Pratt during the 2020 season, playing 343 snaps in 12 games with two starts and also hauling in two interceptions. He took over for Bynes following the veteran's departure in the 2021 offseason. 

The starting tandem of Wilson and Pratt started hot in 2021. Cincinnati struggled for years to put quality linebacker play on the field, and both homegrown players looked to be the long-awaited answers early on. Wilson made his impact felt most in coverage. He picked off four passes in the first six weeks of the season. The former receiver's ball skills popped up again in the playoffs with a game-saving interception in the Divisional Round against the Tennessee Titans. He nearly saved the Super Bowl for the Bengals, but his third-down pass deflection late in the fourth quarter was called back for a defensive holding penalty that remains a questionable call. 

Wilson built off his first year of starting into a fantastic 2022 campaign. He led the team with 123 total tackles and was charged with just four missed. Cincinnati saw enough to sign him to a four-year extension heading into the 2023 season. Wilson's tape was a lot more spotty last season as the entire defense was in a hectic state, but he did share the team lead with four interceptions. His 11 regular season interceptions since 2020 are tied for 11th in the NFL, and third among players who were drafted in 2020 or earlier.

Contract details

Wilson is in the first year of the four-year, $36 million contract extension he signed last year. He will earn a base salary of $3.5 million for the 2024 season. He's already earned $100,000 from a workout bonus. He can also earn up to $450,000 in per game roster bonuses.

Due to $5 million of his signing bonus being prorated on the books for this year, Wilson's cap number for the season will be $9.05 million.

Roster outlook

Wilson is one of the ideal Bengals stories. A third-round pick who earned a starting gig over the course of his first year in the building and then ran with the opportunity. He's the best linebacker the team has drafted and developed in a long time, and he was willing to take low guarantees in an extension. Cincinnati dreams of players like him. 

As the Bengals' defense looks to rebound in 2024, Wilson is a beacon of stability. He's adept to dropping back to take away the middle of the field with his natural coverage instincts, and usually finds himself around the ball in run defense. He's locked into his role for the foreseeable future.

Projected role: Starting linebacker

Previous player breakdowns

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