Tyree Wilson Making Strides in His Development
When the Las Vegas Raiders selected defensive end Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, they knew his development would be more of a marathon than a sprint.
This was the case for several reasons: Wilson had foot surgery in November of his final season at Texas Tech and would need time to heal and rehabilitate on the field. He was also considered a raw, unrefined player as a pass rusher.
Those two things resulted in a rough start to Wilson’s rookie season. According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson generated only six total pressures in the season's first seven games, one quarterback hit and one sack. He was playing many snaps but was not producing or being effective.
In the second half of the season, Wilson has shown improvement. He has generated nine total pressures and two sacks. His production has gradually increased, and the Raiders’ plan to bring him along slowly has begun to pay off.
Wilson has seen his snap count increase in recent weeks. After playing a career-high 38 snaps against the Detroit Lions, Wilson saw only as many as 32 in the next four weeks. Against the Minnesota Vikings, he played 37 snaps and had a career-high 45 snaps against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Las Vegas Raiders rookie Tyree Wilson is showing encouraging strides in his development.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Now that Wilson is healthy, the Raiders are giving him more opportunities to impact the game on the defensive line.
Not only are they giving him more snaps, but they are playing him all over the defensive line. He has lined up on the edge, over the center and the guards. The Raiders might have unlocked something with Wilson’s ability to line up in different places.
Wilson still has a long way to go to become the player the Raiders envisioned when they selected him, but his development has been on schedule. It was initially discouraging to fans, seeing Wilson struggle while other edge rushers such as Will Anderson Jr. of the Houston Texans immediately produced.
However, as the season has gone on, Wilson looked much more comfortable playing the run and rushing the passer. He is putting his 6-foot-6, 275-pound frame to use and is coming into his own as a rookie.
Wilson got off to a slow start in his career for good reasons, but the rookie has finally shown flashes of brilliance that fans have been waiting to see.
The Silver and Black will return to action versus their AFC West rivals, the Kansas City Chiefs, on Christmas Day at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Don't miss it on Monday, December 25, at 1 p.m. EST/10 a.m. PST.
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