Since being drafted by the Raiders with the seventh-overall pick in the 2023, it’s been a challenging two seasons in the NFL for Tyree Wilson.
Two years ago, Wilson was considered a development pick out of Texas Tech, but his physical attributes were enough that just about every mock draft projected him to be taken in the first 10 picks of the 2023 draft.
Wilson has shown flashes in his two years with the Raiders, but it sounds like this could be the year he begins to justify his draft position.
According to The Athletic’s Tashan Reed, Wilson got off to a slow start in OTAs and training camp but made a strong impression on the coaching staff in recent weeks.
“Wilson has fallen short of expectations since getting drafted with pick No. 7 in the 2023 draft. Reason for optimism emerged when he began to play well toward the end of last season, but he got off to another sluggish start in OTAs and early in training camp,” Reed wrote on Sunday.
“In the last couple weeks, though, something has clicked for Wilson. He’s playing with much more confidence, has been getting off the ball faster and has learned to use his unique combination of length and power to steamroll opposing blockers,” Reed continued.
“Wilson has been disruptive in the pass and run game, regardless of whether he’s lined up as a true defensive end or inside at defensive tackle… Wilson isn’t going to be a starter, but he’s rotated often with Koonce and frequently lines up at defensive tackle. He may never justify his draft status, but he could be a useful player for the Raiders this year.”
Wilson can play multiple spots along the defensive line, and his role with the Raiders might have adjusted a little when Christian Wilkins was released in July.
Flagship radio host Vince Sapienza talked on Thursday about what he has watched the coaching staff do with Wilson at practice in recent weeks.
“We can’t get into the nitty gritty… [but] when the twos come out in practice, Tyree Wilson is the guy that’s essentially in Maxx’s spot, and then Charles Snowden is the guy that’s kind of behind Malcolm Koonce,” Sapienza said on Raider Nation Radio’s The Morning Tailgate.
“However, when it gets into those passing downs for the defense on third down, it’s Tyree Wilson on the inside. What we have also seen, and again, [in a] very limited time in the preseason, is if Malcolm Koonce pops out with that first team defense, it’s not Charles Snowden [that is] the first one, it is Tyree Wilson,” Sapienza continued.
“So… however you want to categorize [Wilson], the fifth D-lineman, essentially if they’re running four, he’s as much of a regular as you can be without being a true quote-unquote starter, because his position is technically on the depth chart is behind Maxx, who’s never getting him off the field. But this guy has been… all over the defensive line.”
Earlier in the week, Wilson said he feels like it’s finally coming together for him at the NFL level.
“I mean, y’all watch the tape, just like I do,” Wilson said on Wednesday, via the Las Vegas Journal-Review. “I feel like I’m playing faster, way more fluid than I have been before. And it’s going to continue to get better.”
x: @raidersbeat
Yeah. It’s called a healed foot injury. An injury that was literally a 50/50 that he’d be what he was in college. Dudes gonna have a big year barring another injury. (Knock knock on wood)
He surely looked good in preseason 3. I am looking forward to sacks and plays for loss from our D line. Still worried about our secondary, though, that looked better too. What has impressed me so far is that each week issues are cleared up and the team looks sharper and more polished. That tells me the coaching is working.
👍👌🙏
Only time will tell
He’s adjusted to the speed of the game. He’s even said it’s slowed down for him so now it’s time to show out wherever he lines up. We GOT to have him cause disruption this year instead of just taking up space.
I’ll believe it when I see it consistently in regular season games with Tyree. Better late than never, but the Raiders will have to make a decision on his 5th year option after the season, and unless he really breaks out (in likely a rotational role), they’ll probably decline it, making him a free agent after next season. So even if it does end up clicking for him, that value will either mostly go to another team or at market price. This is why you shouldn’t take projects, injury risks, or so called red shirt players in the top 10.