COUGARS

FROM PULLMAN -- It was a long wait for former Washington State receiver Marquess Wilson, but he was finally drafted on Saturday by the Chicago Bears with the 236th overall pick (and 30th of the seventh round) in the NFL draft.

Wilson becomes the first WSU player drafted since offensive lineman Zack Williams was picked in the sixth round by Carolina in 2011.

The draft is winding down -- as I write this, just nine picks remain -- so it's looking pretty likely that Wilson will be the only Cougar player drafted this year. Quarterback Jeff Tuel and linebacker/defensive end Travis Long will likely be signed as undrafted free agents if neither is selected here toward the end.

Wilson's story is pretty well-known around these parts, so not sure it's really worth rehashing in its entirety. But if you find yourself wanting details, here are a couple stories to catch you up, as well as a story we wrote in March about Wilson's NFL prospects.

Prior to leaving WSU with three games remaining last season -- and prompting a dual-pronged review of the football program after claiming abuse by the coaching staff -- Wilson set WSU's career record for receiving yards with 3,207, along with 23 touchdowns in 33 games. Many thought he could be a first-round talent eventually, but things obviously changed after a sub-par 2012 season and everything that resulted afterward.

Christian Caple can be reached at christianc@spokesman.com. Twitter: @ChristianCaple

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