Oakland Raiders 2013 Draft Pick Tyler Wilson Almost Out of Football
By Chase Ruttig
Nov 17, 2013; Houston, TX, USA; Oakland Raiders player Tyler Wilson (8) walks on the field before a game against the Houston Texans at Reliant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Before there was Derek Carr (or even Matt McGloin) as general manager Reggie McKenzie’s top quarterback prospect there was 2013 fourth round draft pick Tyler Wilson, who came to the Raiders from the Arkansas Razorbacks as a player who the team hoped could become a top prospect.
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However Wilson didn’t even make it through one season in Oakland as the outstanding UDFA in McGloin beat him out for a roster spot and the former All-SEC first teamer ended up becoming the highest draft pick not to make his team’s roster out of the 2013 class. Now Wilson is entering the start of league training camps without a job as the decline of a once former top prospect out of the SEC continues to be shocking as the former Raiders pick seems to be dealing with the reality that he may be nearing the end of his rope when it comes to his career.
Wilson told Arkansas newspaper the Times Record that he will be waiting until August to see if a team gives him a call, if not he will start preparing for a life after football. No CFL attempt or even the Arena football game as it appears that Wilson is looking for an NFL gig or bust as it looks likely that early retirement is in his future.
“At this point, I’ll give this thing until August,” Wilson said. “If I’ve with a team, I’ll continue to play and work into camp. I’m ready to go another direction. There’s life after football.”
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Wilson also told the Record that his experience at the NFL’s inaugural Veteran’s Combine went well, getting him looks from Detroit and Chicago even if nothing has materialized yet in getting him an invite to training camp.
“The Combine went great,” Wilson said on the Combine to the local paper. “I had a lot of feedback afterward. I went to Chicago for a week and then went to Detroit for another week. I heard really good feedback. I didn’t get signed by either place but had a lot of positive reviews.”
It is sad to see a player who once was talented enough in college to get a fourth round pick drop so far in such a short time without any reported off the field problems, but in the case of Wilson it appears that the former Razorbacks quarterback may have simply overachieved at the right time while in college. If Wilson does end his career he has little to be ashamed of, but the player who was drafted in the fourth round by the Raiders before being cut in the same summer is now on the brink. We will wait and see if a team gives him a chance to extend his career for awhile by inviting him to camp in the coming weeks.