May is a time of optimism for every NFL team and the Raiders have been no exception over the last several weeks.
Outside of the uncertainty around Christian Wilkins’ foot, reports from practice have painted an optimistic picture around the Raiders in the team’s first year under head coach Pete Carroll.
Ashton Jeanty and the rookie wide receivers seem to be off to a good start to their NFL careers and listening to Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter, it sounds like former first-round pick Tyree Wilson has taken steps in a good direction, too.
“Last year, I talked with Tyree in the locker room about there was a couple sacks he had missed because his eyes weren’t in the right spot, or he didn’t have his body broke down. [Defensive line coach] Robbie [Leonard] told me there were actually eight sacks he should have had,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast.
“But last year was really his rookie year. And [Leonard] told me that the game has really slowed down right now for Tyree. [It has] slowed down for him and he’s got a lot of confidence and that’s good news if you’re a Raider fan,” Carpenter continued. “He’s healthy. It’s slowed down and he’s playing within himself. He left eight sacks on the field last year. I think he had a good year last year. If you looked at it like a rookie season, imagine how good you would have thought if [he had] eight more sacks.”
Wilson was drafted by the Raiders with the no. 7 pick in the 2023 draft and he was the only first round pick of the Dave Ziegler and Josh McDaniels era.
Wilson was considered a particularly raw prospect coming out of Texas Tech, and he also dealt with a significant foot injury over the course of his first NFL season.
While Wilson’s development has been slow, he remains one of the most physically gifted players in the league. His size and strength aren’t matched by many defensive linemen in the NFL, but the learning curve has been a patient process for Wilson.
If Wilson’s career ever does reach its potential, there aren’t many players in professional sports with a higher ceiling.