The Las Vegas Raiders, two regimes ago, drafted Tyree Wilson No. 7 overall, taking a flier on a guy who had the potential to be a very good defensive end but was still very raw.
And, that happens a lot -- teams expect the technicalities and the fundamentals to end up developing next to the athleticism. But sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. And it's not really fair to say if it has or hasn't clicked yet for Wilson. We have seen improvements from year one to year two, but not enough to say that he is that guy now.
But also, on the side of saying that we can't say he is a bust yet, is that he is only in his third season, and we knew that he would need time to develop. He hasn't even started his third season yet and is still on his rookie contract.
So, 2025 is a pretty important season for him, and he knows that, too.
"Man, this is the biggest year," Wilson told reporters last week. "I feel like it's no pressure, it's just feel like I got my feet under me. My teammates are counting on me, and the team's counting on me. So, yeah, that's a big year... Man, going back looking at my previous two years, the first year, foot injury.
"I got in, took a lot of time away from the ball, and it just went fast. It was a blur. Last year, I started to grow and started to feel the game starting to slow down a little bit. But the twitch and the reaction it wasn't there all the way. It started to develop after the bye. Now I'm just coming in, and it started in OTAs and transitions to camp and then into the season."
The Raiders do need a big season for him, especially because no one really knows if Malcolm Koonce will be back to the way he was before, as he's recovered from an ACL tear last season. But also, this is the year before the season, so he can get an extension. After next season, his rookie deal is up, and the Raiders will either extend him or let him walk in free agency.
Wilson understands what needs to be done, and the fact that he is acknowledging everything, tells me he's going to be ready to take a big leap this year. And, if he can, the Raiders will be looking good on the defensive side of the ball.
-1744670373-q80.webp "BREAKING: Browns Bolster D-Line with Veteran DE Julian Okwara")