There’s not much optimism that Las Vegas Raiders fans want to take from the 30-12 loss to the Chicago Bears last Sunday. The Silver and Black had the chance to be 4-3 against a struggling team, but that didn’t happen. Still, what if someone told you it was a positive to come out of that game?
Raiders 2023 first-round pick Tyree Wilson is coming off his first career NFL sack, and defensive coordinator Patrick Graham highlighted the behind-the-scenes work the rookie is putting in. Furthermore, Pro Football Focus revealed that the 23-year-old was the best player for Las Vegas.
There’s a lot of positive momentum surrounding Wilson, so let’s dive into the latest regarding the edge rusher.
Raiders’ Tyree Wilson is trending upward despite the loss to Chicago
When Las Vegas chose to select Wilson over Jalen Carter, they were taking a gamble. The Raiders are banking on the Texas Tech product becoming the player who lines up on the opposite end of Maxx Crosby and takes advantage of the attention he draws.
Despite the loss to the Bears, the Silver and Black started to see glimpses of Wilson’s potential. The pass rusher secured his first NFL sack, and Graham notes that this one sack plants the seeds of validation. Wilson can see his work from the offseason and during the week leading to success.
“You do all this work throughout the offseason; you build up to a point where you get 17 opportunities that are guaranteed to you, plus the three preseason games, and you want to see a reward from your hard work,” Graham told reporters postgame (h/t Vegas Sports Today). “It’s important for all those guys, and just happy for Tyree to get the reward again. That’s not the main thing.
“Obviously, he set the edge for us in the run game. He’s been able to provide pressure in the pass rush. He’s dropped when we need him to. So, but in terms of answering your question, just the reward of all the hard work, it’s important for all of them.”
So, what do you think, Raiders fans? The loss is hard to overlook, but is Wilson moving in the right direction, or is your opinion of him not changing?
PFF: Tyree Wilson was the Raiders’ best player against the Bears
Perhaps a stat from PFF can convince you that Wilson is trending upward before you make a final opinion. Aside from the sack, the rookie had two tackles and one forced fumble. Wilson’s production against Chicago led to an 82.9 PFF grade, first among Raiders players.
Wilson has produced nine tackles and two QB hits outside the sack total. These stats are underwhelming, but he’s still young and raw, and this game versus the Bears could be that light bulb moment in which everything begins to click for him.
Regardless of the Raiders record for the remainder of this 2023 NFL season, eyes will be on Wilson. He will need to show progress to have many believe he can get to the quarterback consistently.
*Top Photo: David Eulitt/Getty Images