We have harped on it a million times by now when it comes to the Las Vegas Raiders and their defensive end Tyree Wilson, who was a No. 7 overall pick just a few years ago.
He hasn't quite developed into what they thought he would, which is a rising star player on the edge, but he has gotten better over the last two years. You have to take into account the fact that he has been dealing with injuries at the beginning of both seasons and was already a pretty raw prospect when he was drafted.
But, even last year, which was much better, there are times on film when he just isn't making an impact. And a lot of the technical things still need to be cleaned up. But he knows that the Raiders know that. And his teammates know that.
They also all know that he is working his butt off to get better. At least he's putting in the work.
"I'm pleased with his work ethic, too. He's been trying some new things. I won't go into detail on that, but he's been trying some new things and really being intentional about his work as well. So, I hope everything works out for him. As long as he keeps working, I believe he'll surprise you," Adam Butler told reporters during mandatory minicamp.
It would be different if he were a bad player and he didn't work to fix it. But he's not a bad player; he's a decent player who is just a bit behind schedule. But, he's working, and we saw that last year and the numbers came with it. But you can't stop there.
When you look at his numbers, the majority of his production came from two games. For someone who played as much as he did because of injuries, that has to be better.
Luckily, he has guys next to him who know how to translate the work to production. Only time will tell if it happens or not.
