Raider Nation has waited for Tyree Wilson to do damage on the field since the Las Vegas Raiders selected him seventh-overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. The wait is over. Wilson’s selection was met with mixed reviews from fans on draft day.
With a remarkable 86-inch wingspan, in addition to the 17.0 sacks he compiled in college, it was made abundantly clear that the Texas Tech alum had all the tools to be successful at the next level. However, those who were familiar with Wilson knew it wouldn’t happen overnight: In addition to being a notably-raw talent, the 24-year-old was recovering from a foot fracture he had suffered in 2022 .
For fans who had sat through the Alex Leatherwood experiment, the Raiders’ most recent first-round pick prior to Wilson, the idea of adding a “project” as opposed to an immediate contributor didn’t sit right. Add in the fact Las Vegas had two proven edge rushers in Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones, and it’s understandable why some of Raider Nation wasn’t the biggest fan of the Wilson selection. Wilson didn’t give those fans a reason to be optimistic during his rookie season, either.
The then-rookie ended his ’23 campaign with 3.0 sacks and 24 pressures, both of which ranked fifth-highest on the team. Beating blockers proved to be hard for Wilson, whose 6.
4% win-rate ranked third-lowest on the entire team. Even worse was his run-defense, which was given a lowly grade of 47.6 via Pro Football Focus .
To make matters worse, Malcolm Koonce.