PHOENIX — Adrian Wilson may prove to be a very good player for the Patriots. He may prove to be the perfect complement at strong safety to Devin McCourty at free safety. He may be the desired physical presence that’s been craved in the secondary.

But after speaking with people who actually watched him play last season, and covered him in Arizona, let’s draw a clearer picture about the veteran defender, and what you may actually see on the field.

While we might have fantasized about him being a Rodney Harrison clone, someone who will punish receivers and make them think twice about going across the middle, it’s important to note that after midseason the Cardinals did not play him in their nickel and dime packages.

In other words, he wasn’t on the field in passing situations. The coaching staff believed he had lost a step due to age, so he was replaced by the younger Rashad Johnson. Wilson is 33, and will turn 34 in October.

As it was, pass coverage was never the five-time Pro Bowler’s strength, but he was still an every-down player. So while he remained a physical player and a hitter, those qualities were more geared toward being in the box and stopping the run. At least, that’s what happened in Arizona.

Bill Belichick might view him differently and play him every down. After all, it’s not like the Pats are blessed with an arsenal of young, up-and-coming safeties. Belichick might also believe Wilson’s veteran presence will help mentor some of the younger players in the secondary, whether it’s McCourty or Tavon Wilson.

But toward the end of last season, Adrian Wilson wasn’t used in coverage, which in the NFL is most of the time. At least, that’s how former Cardinals defensive coordinator Ray Horton, now with the Cleveland Browns, employed the 6-foot-3 safety during the second half of the season.

Judging by the fact the Pats didn’t break the bank on Wilson, who signed a three-year deal for $5 million with a $1 million signing bonus, they probably aren’t expecting the same kind of impact as Aqib Talib had when he joined the team last year. And yet, to be fair, speaking with those who have had to play against him, they still view Wilson as a someone who will make the Pats better.

Coach Pete Carroll, whose Seattle Seahawks face Wilson twice a year in the NFC West, considers him a tremendous player largely due to his intelligence and instincts. Carroll sees a player of incredible value, and thinks he has something to offer.

“He’s a great football player. He goes beyond what normal guys perform at because of his instincts and savvy,” Carroll said yesterday at the NFC coaches breakfast. “Depending on how they play him and how they utilize him, he would look like he freelances a lot, but he’s so experienced he makes tremendous choices like great players do. And in that, he causes you a lot of problems. He can make plays when he just shouldn’t make them because of his savvy and his willingness to go for it. He’s a great factor.”

Carroll said Wilson, who had been with the Cardinals for 12 seasons before being released earlier this month, is that rare player with great football instincts who sniffs out plays with the best of them.

“He has the confidence to act on what he sees, like Troy Polamalu, and some of the great football players,” Carroll said. “He’ll take chances others won’t take, and for the most part, it works out for him. That makes him a unique player and very hard to deal with.”

NFL Network analyst Solomon Wilcots, a former defensive back, also believes Wilson was a good signing for the Patriots, even if he doesn’t play every down.

“He’s an enforcer. He’s a good player,” Wilcots said when reached by phone. “He’s like Brian Dawkins, he’s an excellent blitzing safety. He’s good in and around the box. In terms of playing in space, I don’t think it’s a liability, but that’s not his strong suit. He’s much more effective around the line of scrimmage, in the blitz game, defending the run. He’s just a smart player.”

He’d have to be in order to be one of just six players in NFL history to record at least 25 sacks and 25 interceptions in his career. But more than anything, Wilson’s experience should help, no matter if he’s an every-down safety or not.

“I think he’ll help back there, he’s seen so much,” Wilcots said. “He’s been in a lot of big games against a lot of good teams in the NFC West. That veteran experience will help Devin McCourty, no doubt.”