There might not be a bigger X-factor on defense than Tyree Wilson heading into the 2024 season. The former No. 7 pick from the 2023 NFL Draft had a rocky start to his career, but the Raiders are counting on him in a big way this season.
In a recent article by Bleacher Report, Alex Ballentine wrote about a handful of players who need to have breakout seasons this year. That list included Wilson, who is entering a pivotal year of his career. He is a snippet of what the site had to say about the former Texas Tech star:
The 24-year-old’s lack of production wasn’t entirely under his control. He started out the year with a foot injury he suffered in college. He got healthy enough to play by Week 1, but he lost valuable time to prepare for the season and the results weren’t good.
The 6’6″, 275-pounder was only on the field for 44 percent of the defensive snaps, had 3.5 sacks and an 8.1 pressure percentage.
Ballentine is right as Wilson missed almost all of training camp last year with his foot injury. The first time he stepped on the field was August 18 and that was only on a limited basis. He missed the NFL Combine, Pro Day, minicamp and all of the OTAs nursing his foot injury last summer.
But Wilson is healthy now and the Raiders will need him to step up in Year 2. There were certainly signs of life from him over the final month of the season, but the Raiders need him to be more consistent, no matter where he ends up playing on the defensive line.