Raiders' Wilson Took Crosby's Tough Love in Stride

Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby is hard on rookies, but Tyree Wilson took it on the chin.

Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Tyree Wilson was subject to lots of criticism as the No. 7 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. Many factors contributed to Wilson’s slow start to his rookie campaign. 

One of the most challenging elements of being a rookie in the NFL is taking criticism from outside noise, coaches, and even teammates.

Wilson received tough love from Crosby in his rookie season but knew Crosby had his best interests in mind. Crosby is naturally tougher on rookies, believing they must prove their worth to the Raiders, no matter how high they were selected. 

Wilson talked about his relationship with Crosby and the "tough love" he was given when he joined the All-Pro edge-rusher on the latest episode of Crosby's podcast, "The Rush with Maxx Crosby."

“It is tough love,” Wilson said. “I ain’t soft, so I took that s--- on the chin. Me being young, Maxx sees it a different way. I might f--- up a game, Maxx would get mad, he would be like, ‘Bro, just do the s--- right,’ and we would keep going. After the day is over, we’re back good again. We just keep building. I don’t take it personal; it only helps me get better and look at his point of view. It helped my game.”

Crosby is a physical, athletic edge rusher with an elite technical approach. He reads what offensive tackles will do quickly, allowing him to gain leverage and win his match-up. 

That area is an element of Wilson’s game that needs work. Wilson relied on being bigger and stronger than his match-up in college, so he must spend this offseason working with Crosby to develop pass-rush moves and learning to win in ways beyond his physicality. 

Crosby is an excellent player on the field but also a good mentor. He plans to bring Wilson along this offseason to help him reach his full potential as a pass-rusher. Wilson is 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds, so the physical frame is apparent, but he must improve from a technical perspective.

Wilson has a ways to go before he can reach his ceiling, but as long as he listens to Crosby’s tough love and criticism, he’ll have a better chance of achieving it. 

Click here to watch the full podcast episode with Wilson and Crosby.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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