When the Las Vegas Raiders took defensive end Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the hope was that he'd pair with star edge rusher Maxx Crosby to give the team a potent one-two punch along the edge.
However, it was a rough first season for Wilson, who was behind from the jump thanks to a foot injury that bothered him during the offseason. He then tallied just 3.5 sacks during the regular season, but did manage to finish the campaign strong after the Raiders gave him a look inside.
“I was definitely playing catch-up,” Wilson said, per Mike Gramala of the Las Vegas Sun. “(I'm) still limited in movement because of the foot.”
“Coming in from college, you think you’ve got everything figured out,” he added. “But this year I just slowed back down, started taking the coaching and just come out here and work.”
Wilson believes the move inside benefitted his overall game. Now, when he plays on the edge, things are slower for him.
“You don’t have much time to think — it’s on you quick,” Wilson said of moving to the inside. “All you can do is react. When you work inside and then move back outside, everything slows back down.”
One of the notable differences for Wilson is his physique, as he looks to be leaner and carrying more muscle than last year. Wilson said he turned to Crosby for advice on what he should do, and that clearly paid off.
#Raiders DL Tyree Wilson said he really worked on his eating habits and get off in the offseason
— Jesse Merrick (@JesseNews3LV) May 21, 2024
You can just tell how much more comfortable he is heading into year two both mentally and physically pic.twitter.com/sYCRAsn6Ut
"You've got to have good weight, good eating habits, and good sleeping habits to be the best on the field," Wilson explained, per RaiderRamble.com. "I learned that from a leader in the room, Maxx Crosby. I tried to work with him all offseason to improve my game on the field."
“[Crosby] pushed me to be better,” Wilson added. “He was always asking me, like, ‘What are you eating? Who’s your nutritionist? How are you stretching?’ Just stuff to make me better.”
Whether he plays inside, outside, or both during his second season, Wilson has no shortage of great players to help him learn, something he plans on taking full advantage of.
“Maxx is more of a defensive end,” Wilson said. “With Coach Graham and the guys moving me inside, I can not just pick Maxx’s brain, but I can also pick Christian’s brain because he plays inside and [he’s] real dominant.”
By all accounts, Wilson seems to have turned over a new leaf following a rocky rookie campaign. If the Raiders can get him going along with Crosby, Wilkins and Malcolm Koonce, Las Vegas' front is going to be a force to be reckoned with, both against the run and in the pass-rush.
