Raiders news: Rookie defensive player named 'breakout' candidate in 2023

The Las Vegas Raiders go into the 2023 NFL season looking to bounce back from a six-win season a year ago. This offseason, general manager Dave Ziegler made some wholesale changes on the roster in free agency, and in the 2023 NFL Draft, he had a lot of draft assets to work with.

One of those assets was the No. 7 overall pick, a pick the Raiders earned by being one of the worst teams in the NFL last season. With that selection, the Raiders picked Tyree Wilson, a dominant edge rusher from Texas Tech who has an incredible wingspan, and someone who can help take the pressure off of Maxx Crosby in the pass rush.

Raiders rookie Tyree Wilson named a 'breakout' candidate

Over at Sports Illustrated, the combination of Gilberto Manzano and Matt Verderame, my former boss at FanSided, put together a list that consisted of one breakout player for each NFL team this season. For the Silver and Black, Wilson was the pick, and if he can actually get healthy enough to get on the field, that is a good selection.

Wilson should have no problem getting accustomed to the NFL game due to his physical attributes, and with guys like Crosby and Chandler Jones to learn from, he is in an excellent spot to start his NFL career. If he can rack up eight or so sacks this season, you would have to think the Raiders will take that.

Overall, the expectation is that the Raiders defense is going to be better as a whole this season, especially after adding quality players to the defensive backfield. Having good coverage will mean a little more time for the edge rushers to get after the quarterback, and the Raiders have a trio of players who specialize in that category.

First tings first, the Raiders need Wilson to get back on the field.