A few years ago, the Las Vegas Raiders used the seventh overall pick on Tyree Wilson, a pass rusher out of Texas Tech. Wilson entered his career with high expectations, but unfortunate injuries hindered his progress. Following a lackluster rookie season in 2023, many of those expectations diminished.
At that point, many were questioning whether Wilson was even in the right position. With a bigger frame, some suspected Wilson could be better suited as an interior defensive lineman, rather than on the edge. Nevertheless, Las Vegas has seemed keen to keep him there.
Wilson did make some modest progress in 2024, but he still has room to improve. However, that doesn’t guarantee his position as a player the Raiders want to retain for the future. Complicating matters, several edge rushers will be competing for more playing time, and Wilson, along with much of the roster, is entering a new regime that did not originally bring him in.
As Wilson approaches a critical third year of his career, he has the opportunity to step up and demonstrate that he is a player Las Vegas needs to keep. Conversely, if he struggles again, it could make the Raiders less inclined to exercise his fifth-year option.
Tyree Wilson: A Quick Career Overview
Considering everything, Wilson’s first year wasn’t as disastrous as many would say. However, it also wasn’t particularly impressive.
Wilson played all 17 games but did not start any. He had limited playing time, appearing on the field for just 44 percent of all defensive snaps. It’s important to note that Wilson missed part of training camp due to an injury, which contributed to his late start to the season. Overall, he concluded the 2023 season with 3.5 sacks, three QB hurries, four QB knockdowns, and 11 pressures.
In 2024, he showed improvements in his performance, although the changes were not drastic. He played in 16 games and started four, recording 4.5 sacks, 17 pressures, seven hurries, and five QB knockdowns. While he had two fewer pressures than the previous year, he saw an increase in tackles for a loss, finishing with six compared to just two in his rookie season.
What Role Do The Raiders Envision For Him In 2025?
There are many variables affecting Wilson’s role this year, particularly after the Raiders recently decided to cut Christian Wilkins.
Throughout his short career, the Raiders have made significant efforts to develop Wilson as an edge rusher. However, so far, the results have not met expectations. During a brief period in 2023, Wilson played on the interior toward the end of the season. He did give some excellent performances in that capacity, despite the small sample size. With additional playing time becoming available on the interior due to Wilkins’ departure, might Wilson have the opportunity to take some snaps there?
What we know is that Crosby and Malcolm Koonce are likely to be the starting edge rushers, while Adam Butler will start on the interior. Given the Raiders’ preference to utilize Wilson as an edge rusher, it is unlikely that he will occupy the other interior spot, which may be filled by rookies like Tonka Hemingway or J.J. Pegues.
Wilson will likely be a second-string edge rusher along with Charles Snowden, who had some excellent moments with the Raiders in 2024. Heading into his third NFL season, the Raiders would not have wanted their seventh overall pick to be in this position. Still, that’s where Wilson is going to have to start in 2025. He’s shown marginal improvement just about every year but really needs a big step forward this season.
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