Raiders' Tyree Wilson Facing Pivotal 2025

The Las Vegas Raiders spent their first-round pick in 2023 on a pass rusher, who they hoped would blossom to be on the opposite side of Maxx Crosby and wreak havoc on opposing offensive lines. Throughout two years, Tyree Wilson hasn't been able to play up to his draft position.

What makes things worse is that they passed up on Jalen Carter to draft Wilson. Even if Carter had character concerns before the draft, he would've been an invaluable asset to the Raiders' defensive line and would've been at no risk of potentially fading into obscurity like Wilson is at now.

Even taking a look at players they could've drafted that don't play the same position as Wilson, notable players like Zay Flowers or Christian Gonzalez were still on the board, and both of those players would've had a lot of value on the Raiders in 2025.

It may be unfair to judge how the Raiders did because they had no way of predicting who these players would turn out to be, but it stings looking back on how different their team outlook could've been in 2025 if their first-round pick from two years ago was starting.

At the moment, Wilson isn't starting and is instead backing up Malcolm Koonce, who's a great player in his own right. Cody Benjamin, sports writer for CBS Sports, included Wilson in his list of players who are at risk of becoming first-round busts. The good news is that his prediction is that he won't become a bust, and that instead, 2025 will be his best year yet.

"Four years after Clelin Ferrell joined the Raiders as the would-be face of the pass rush, Wilson arrived as a potential corrective. Yet so far, unfortunately, he's followed suit, mustering just eight sacks in four official starts over his first two NFL seasons".

Though he hasn't gotten much experience as a starter, he's been a key piece of their defensive rotation and is a reason why the Raiders' defensive line is great. He'll have to continue to battle to make his way into the starting spot.

"The ex-Texas Tech standout has publicly acknowledged he's entering something of a make-or-break campaign opposite Maxx Crosby, despite improving some other marks, like quarterback hits, in his second year. New head coach Pete Carroll could be just the man to help unlock him".

2025 will be a pivotal season for the Raiders overall, but that can't be more so than for Wilson. He has to show the new Raiders regime that he's worth keeping around and has to show definitive improvements in his game to not be labeled an NFL bust.

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