Tyree

Wilson

Just days after trading for Wilson, Saints GM Mickey Loomis said Wilson is getting “a one-year trial” and that the team “will see how it goes” before making any decision to extend him. Wilson has totaled 12 sacks 50 career games since being drafted seventh overall by the Raiders back in 2023. The Saints’ decision to acquire him was a low-risk/high-reward move, as they hope Wilson can become the best version of himself for very little cost to the team this upcoming season.

The Raiders get back a 2026 fifth (No. 105 overall) while dealing Wilson and a 2026 seventh (No. 219 overall). The former first-round defensive end will play the 2026 season on an expiring rookie contract after ranking fourth on the team in snaps at defensive end a season ago. Wilson has not yet lived up to the lofty expectations that made him a first-round pick in 2023, with the suddenly surging Saints happy to take on that risk for any potential untapped upside still present in his game.

Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins is also questionable. Wilson injured his knee after 11 snaps in Week 1. He was upgraded to a full participant on Friday, giving him a good shot of suiting up. Regardless of his status, the Raiders are expected to have Maxx Crosby, a one-man wrecking crew on the defensive line, available for this game. He should have no issues causing trouble for Andy Dalton in his first start of the year.

Wilson is not yet a high-impact rotational player and losing valuable in-game repetitions will not help his development. Hopefully, he can return soon. Backup rookie G Jackson Powers-Johnson (illness) will be a game-time decision but fellow rookie LB Tommy Eichenberg (knee) will make his NFL debut.

Wilson is likely looking at an extended absence and backup CB Decamerion Richardson (hamstring) was also unable to play. Neither player is listed as a starter but losing two depth pieces early for a team built around strong defensive play is not good.

Head coach Antonio Pierce told reporters his odds of suiting up on Sunday are “not looking good.” It’s safe to say Wilson won’t be active for Week 2. He could miss an extended period of time given Pierce’s instant pessimism on the short-term outlook.

Wilson, who injured his foot last November, is finally ready to go after being taken with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Wilson’s emergence as a pass rusher during his final two seasons at Texas Tech included 14 sacks and 27.5 tackles for loss. He’ll join a Vegas front seven that recorded the third fewest sacks in 2022.

Fellow 2023 draftee Byron Young was also placed on the PUP list. Wilson suffered a foot injury in November that caused him to miss the end of his final collegiate season. He was held out of the Raiders’ minicamp and OTA practices, so the move to place him on the NFI list isn’t a shock. He can be removed from the list and resume practicing anytime. There haven’t been any rumblings of the issue lingering into the season, Wilson should be expected to return to the field sometime during the first few weeks of camp.

The Raiders made Wilson their first pick of the 2023 NFL Draft in hopes of improving a defense that finished 30th in sacks last season (27). Wilson’s emergence as a pass rusher during his final two seasons at Texas Tech included 14 sacks and 27.5 TFLs, as he quickly turned into one of the more coveted pass rushers of this year’s draft. Wilson should fit nicely opposite Maxx Crosby, whose 12.5 sacks last season were good for eighth-most in the league.

A three-star recruit who spent his first two collegiate seasons at Texas A&M, Wilson (6’6/271) wasn’t seeing the field so he transferred to Lubbock where he led the Red Raiders with 13.5 TFL and seven sacks in 2021. He really emerged in 2022, recording 50 pressures and 32 run stops in just 538 snaps while receiving First-Team All-American recognition. On a big stage against the undefeated TCU Horned Frogs, Wilson produced season highs with seven pressures and three QB hits. Unfortunately, he was injured for the remainder of the year the very next week against Kansas, but the rangy athletic dynamo’s sensational game against TCU clearly changed his perception after his breakout performance. He possesses natural power that overwhelms blockers when he pins his ears back as a straightforward, face-up rusher who can dip around the outside or toss a euro-step out there to keep opponents off balance. Wilson comes with a plan and is very active with his hands, but as a long, rangy defender his pad level can get high at times. Wilson’s foot injury kept him from testing, but his impressive tape combined with prototype dimensions make him a sought-after edge defender.