There is a lot of excitement in the building regarding the Las Vegas Raiders, especially on offense. The addition of Geno Smith has breathed life into this offense, and Ashton Jeanty could make this one of the league’s most balanced and potent units.
But if the Raiders are going to squeeze into the playoff picture in the AFC, it’s their defense that will need to step up. The Raiders finished 25th in points allowed per game last year, which was a big drop-off from their 2023 season when they finished ninth. Allowing 25.5 points per contest just isn’t going to cut it if the Raiders want to compete in the AFC West this year.
If the defense wants to take the next step, it will need several young players to have career years. That includes Malcolm Koonce, Tommy Eichenberg, Isaiah Pola-Mao and Jakorian Bennett. But one player whom the Raiders are hoping improves is Tyree Wilson, their former first-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft.
Tyree Wilson poised for breakout campaign under Pete Carroll in 2025
Wilson’s rookie season was basically a wash after a foot injury caused him to miss a significant amount of time in the offseason and during training camp. Wilson, to his credit, improved in Year 2 and became a very functional run defender.
While that’s always been one of his strong points, the Raiders didn’t draft him at No. 7 to only be a run defender. They drafted him to be a dominant pass rusher who could play opposite Maxx Crosby. There were signs of life from Wilson as a pass rusher last year, especially later in the year.
But heading into Year 3, the Raiders will need him to take another big step forward. That will need to happen as he learns a new position, as the Raiders have moved Wilson all around the defensive line and are giving him more defensive tackle reps, especially after the release of Christian Wilkins.
The Raiders appear to be happy with how that transition is going, as Pete Carroll spoke glowingly about Wilson in a recent press conference via ESPN:
"We're moving [Wilson] around, trying to see what we can do and work in complement with our other rushers," Carroll said. "But I'm really enthused about how he's shown his effort and his concern about doing things really hard and full speed and all that. So that's a really good sign. He's a marvelous-looking athlete."
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Wilson obviously won’t be a full-time defensive end for Patrick Graham, but it does make sense to kick him inside on obvious pass-rushing downs. He’s got fantastic length, and he’s naturally powerful, but he is also quick enough to give guards and centers problems.
He’ll need to continue to work on his hand placement and technique, but Wilson has all the traits to be an excellent inside-outside player. There is no doubt that Wilson is an ascending player, and he’s gotten better in each of the first two years of his career.
If he can take that big step forward in 2025, the Raiders could have one of the league’s best defensive lines. They are relying on the former Texas Tech star to make a leap, and it sure sounds like he is already on his way to doing so.