As we get closer to the 2023 NFL draft, certain players are getting projected to the Lions more frequently. Here’s a big example…
Tyree Wilson, EDGE, Texas Tech
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 271 pounds (measured at Scouting Combine)
Wilson turns 23 in May
Wilson played the last three seasons at Texas Tech after starting out at Texas A&M. He’s easy to spot on Red Raiders game film over that time. Few players have his length on the edge, and he figured out how to use it well enough to bag seven sacks and 14 TFLs in each of the last two seasons. Texas Tech used him primarily in a stand-up EDGE role outside the tackle, similar to how Aidan Hutchinson played down the stretch in Detroit in his rookie season.
He didn’t work out at the NFL Scouting Combine and missed the last three games of Texas Tech’s season while dealing with a broken foot.
Pros
- Outstanding length, with 36-inch arms and a huge wingspan
- Well-developed upper-body and core strength that can displace blockers from multiple alignments
- Sure tackler and finisher in the backfield
- Consistent disruption when attacking isolated OTs
- Athletic enough to play in a stand-up EDGE role and keep his legs clean
- Very consistent edge-setter in the run game and can steer blockers
- Quicker feet than expected for a tall EDGE
- Uses his inside arm very well to leverage space for himself to attack (notably vs. Texas ’22)
- Showed progress in his ability to shed blocks and anticipate different blocking angles
Cons
- Inconsistent explosion off the snap; last guy moving along the line more than he should be
- Can play too tall and stiff when engaged with blockers
- Has good closing burst but will overshoot the point of attack (see TCU game ’22) and not be able to gather himself to recover
- Oddly poor recognition of getting his hands in the air when his pass rush gets negated
- Wins more by being a superior athlete vs. the blocking than with technique
- Quicker run-game targets can use his length against him
- Doesn’t yet have the feel to set up moves or sequence rushes
Overall
Similar to Travon Walker in last year’s draft, Wilson steadily rose up the draft boards thanks to being a great athlete with rare physical traits that finally got better at applying them to the football field. Wilson won’t go No. 1 overall, but he’s got a chance to be the first defensive player selected because of his length and ability to play anywhere from the 4i to the Wide-9 and thrive as a pass rusher anywhere in between.
Wilson isn’t a finished product with his technique, but he did show growth over his Texas Tech career arc. For the Lions, he’d make a fantastic bookend with Aidan Hutchinson and give the defense a ridiculous amount of strength and athletic versatility on the EDGE.