Maxx Crosby continues to be an absolute force for the Las Vegas Raiders. You can make a strong case that he’s been the best pass rusher in the league this season. But the Raiders have to find someone to help him on the other side.
The Raiders were hopeful that Chandler Jones would be able to do that. But the team released him a few weeks ago after a brief stint away from the team. That meant more snaps for Tyree Wilson, the No. 7 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, he’s not been able to help out Crosby either this season.
Buy Raiders TicketsIn a recent article by ESPN’s NFL Draft Experts, they took a look at all of the first-round rookies from the 2023 draft class. Not surprisingly, they were critical of the play of Wilson, who has yet to record a sack this season.
According to Matt Miller, Wilson has underperformed more than any other first-round pick from the class:
The pass-rusher was drafted to take pressure off Maxx Crosby, and that need has only heightened since the Raiders released Chandler Jones. Wilson has zero sacks and a 4.3% pass rush win rate through four games. He needs to get on the field more and start making an impact that lives up to the No. 7 overall pick that the Raiders used on him.
Wilson dealt with a foot injury for most of the offseason and was unable to participate in much of training camp. He only played a handful of snaps in the preseason, so it’s not unreasonable to think that he could still be shaking off the rust.
But the truth is that the Raiders need Wilson now. They need him to play better and to start contributing. And so far, they haven’t gotten much of anything from their top pick.
