The Las Vegas Raiders made a first-round selection almost exactly two years ago that hasn't panned out to this point.
In the 2022 NFL Draft, the Raiders selected edge-rusher Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 pick. Wilson was looked at as a raw talent with the potential to develop into a double-digit sack guy. Unfortunately, Wilson has not reached that potential in Las Vegas.
As a rookie, Wilson played in all 17 games and recorded 29 tackles and 3.5 sacks. In 2024, the defender only slightly improved, ending the campaign with 4.5 sacks. Pro Football Focus wasn't impressed with the defender in 2024, either, giving Wilson a 57.2 pass-rush grade.
With a new general manager and coaching staff in town, it's possible the Raiders would be interested in seeing what they could get for Wilson on the trade market. John Stolnis of Bleeding Green Nation recently identified the Eagles as a logical landing spot for Wilson.
Regarding Wilson's potential fit in Philadelphia, Stolnis offered the following:
It wouldn’t be surprising to see new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll overhaul his roster over the next few months, and Wilson is a player whose time in Vegas could be running short as a part of those reconstruction efforts. He has two years left on his rookie deal, but hasn’t done much in his time with the Raiders to warrant sticking around. That’s music to the ears of a cap-strapped team like the Eagles, who love taking chances on underperforming former first round draft picks. Wilson has just eight sacks through 33 career games, and has made just four starts since being selected No. 7 overall two years ago.
As Stolnis mentioned, Wilson seems like exactly the type of player who could flourish in Philadelphia.
The Eagles are currently slated to start 2024 third-round pick Jalyx Hunt and Nolan Smith Jr. on the edge, so reinforcements could be added. The Eagles don't have the most cap space, though, so a pricey veteran addition likely isn't realistic at this point.
In Philadelphia, defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would likely love to have a talent like Wilson to develop. No longer being on the team that drafted him would remove some pressure off of Wilson and he'd have one of the best defensive minds in the game to learn from.
Wilson has two more seasons on his rookie deal with a club option for another year. The defender will carry a cap hit of just under $7 million in 2025, so the Eagles would be comfortably be able to fit that contract in.
