Analyzing the Decision the Raiders Must Make on Tyree Wilson

The Las Vegas Raiders selected defensive lineman Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Wilson's sheer size and raw potential sold the Raiders on his future. Las Vegas' front office knew Wilson needed time to develop, as he entered the league recovering from an injury.

The Raiders' Decision

At 6'5, 263 pounds, Wilson has the physical tools to excel in the league. However, Marc Ross of NFL.com does not believe the Raiders should pick up his fifth-year option and should let him play out his rookie contract, which ends next season. The Raiders have until May to decide on Wilson.

"Wilson was a big-time project coming out of Texas Tech, and the Raiders really reached by taking him seventh overall. He's played 50 games (seven starts) over three seasons, but has logged only 12 sacks -- for a first-round pick, those numbers should be exponentially higher. Even more glaring is the fact that he hasn't played more than half of the Raiders' defensive snaps in any season," Ross said

Wilson's potential is undeniable. Whether he will reach that potential remains to be determined. Still, the Raiders' final game of the season, against the Kansas City Chiefs, was proof of what Wilson can do when he is focused. Wilson impacted the game offensively and defensively.

He dominated the Chiefs in the exact way the Raiders had envisioned he would do much more often than he has. Wilson forced two fumbles, both of which led to Raiders field goals. Wilson also forced a Chiefs safety, in what was a two-point win for the Raiders. That is the Wilson the Raiders need.

Like much of the rest of the Raiders' 2023 draft class, Wilson has experienced instability at head coach, which has led to a different coaching staff each of his three seasons in the National Football League. Last week, Raiders General Manager John Spytek acknowledged that instability.

"I think as the NFL goes, it's important, but this is a largely unstable world we live in. Even when you're good, you have instability because your coordinators take off on you. I mean, there's a couple teams that were great last year and they lost some really good coaches, and it hasn't worked out as well for them this year,” Spytek said.

“So, we're always battling every year. It feels like every game, every week, every year you're battling. And so, it'll be built organizationally. We want to define what it means to be a Raider. We want people that are excited to be a Raider,” Spytek said.

Wilson will have next season to prove whether he can live up to his potential. The potential is there; it is on Wilson to maximize it.

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