New Las Vegas Raiders head coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Spytek have been willing to move off players from the previous regime. It’s clear that returning players not named Maxx Crosby aren’t secure in their positions.
Defensive end Tyree Wilson was the No. 7 pick in the 2023 draft under Josh McDaniels and Dave Ziegler. He was always going to be a project due to his leaving college with injury issues.
However, he didn’t take much of a leap in Year 2 and has only started in four games despite the Raiders having serious health issues across the defensive line last season. Wilson’s 8.0 sacks in two seasons aren’t terrible, but he hasn’t come close to living up to his status as a top 10 pick, especially considering the Raiders passed on star defensive tackle Jalen Carter to take him.
What’s also working against Wilson is that very few of the decision makers who drafted him are still in the building. ESPN’s Adam Schefter recently put together a list of players who could be “expendable” ahead of the NFL Draft, and Wilson was on the list.
Why Trade Wilson Now?
There’s no chance the Raiders would be able to get close to the value they used to acquire Wilson back if they traded him. They’d be fortunate to get more than a fourth-round pick for him at this point.
That’s why it wouldn’t make much sense to trade him now. Wilson still has big-time potential. He’s got elite size and is a great athlete. He showed flashes of improvement last season.
Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham is returning, and he should know Wilson as well as anybody. If the Raiders traded the defensive end, it would likely signal that Graham has little faith in his ability to get better.
For now, it would make more sense to keep Wilson and see if he can continue to improve. At worst, he provides depth at one of the most important positions on defense.
Who Could Be a Fit for Wilson?
The only way the Raiders would likely consider trading Wilson is if they get an appealing offer. Pro Football Network believes the Tennessee Titans, New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles would all be fits for the former first-round pick.
“That leaves players like Tyree Wilson as clear trade possibilities,” PFN wrote. “Wilson still has two years left on his rookie deal, but he hasn’t made much progress since being drafted No. 7 overall in 2023. He has eight sacks in two years and couldn’t take advantage of numerous injuries at edge rusher in 2024 to earn a larger role. After playing 28 snaps per game as a rookie, that only crawled up to 31 snaps per game last year.
“Ziegler was the Raiders’ GM when Wilson was drafted and he’s now the Titans’ assistant GM, and Tennessee certainly needs more edge rusher help. Similarly, his first head coach was Josh McDaniels, who is back in New England for a third stint with a Patriots team that has needs almost everywhere. The Eagles don’t have a coaching connection to Wilson but have a habit of taking fliers on high draft picks who busted elsewhere and wouldn’t need Wilson to play a major role if he doesn’t hit.”
