Expectations are high in make-or-break year for Tyree Wilson

Tyree Wilson knows what the stakes are heading into his third NFL season.

The seventh overall pick in 2023, Wilson’s professional career has not taken off like he or the Las Vegas Raiders expected. With only eight sacks to his credit so far, the athletic skill he displayed at Texas Tech has shown in flashes instead of consistently. With the regime that drafted him long gone, Wilson cannot allow himself to fall behind with the Raiders any longer.

However, with the release of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins last week, a new opportunity for Wilson may have opened itself up.

The door is open for Wilson to break out in year three.

After a strong finish to last season and general improvement from his rookie year, new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll has expressed his confidence that Wilson can be an asset for his team.

“I think this is really his time,” Carroll said. “… I’m counting on him to do stuff in a big way.”

Now with Wilkins out of the picture, Wilson’s versatility on the defensive line has never been more important for the Raiders.

Wilson has been moved around throughout training camp at numerous positions, a tactic that the Raiders are also employing with the likes of Jeremy Chinn and Jamal Adams. The goal is to put players at positions where they can be successful, and Wilson moving to the interior is one that has a proven track record of success behind it. Across 239 snaps as a defensive tackle, Wilson has amassed 17 pressures and four sacks, including nine and two last season.

“We’re moving [Wilson] around, trying to see what we can do and work in complement with our other rushers,” Carroll said. “But I’m really enthused about how he’s shown his effort and his concern about doing things really hard and full speed and all that. So that’s a really good sign. He’s a marvelous looking athlete.”

With a lot on the line for Wilson this season, it is good that both he and the Raiders are determined to make this work.