The turnover that the Las Vegas Raiders had this offseason meant that the 2023 draft class was on its third general manager and head coach in as many years. That kind of turbulence is not great for player development, but sometimes a clean slate with a new regime can be a good thing.
Through his first two seasons, the tools that made Tyree Wilson the seventh overall pick in the 2023 draft did not translate to production. Some of that was rooted in a lack of opportunities, as Wilson averaged less than 31 defensive snaps per game in 2023 and 2024.
Both the franchise and fan base hoped that Wilson's third season would be the charm, especially after an opportunity for an expanded role along the defensive line opened up. Wilson started things in promising fashion this season with a sack in Week 1 against the New England Patriots.
He had another sack in Week 4 against the Chicago Bears, and it seemed like the young player was really coming along. Coincidentally or not, those were also the two games where he played his highest share of the defensive snaps over the first five games of the season.
Raiders now have a no-brainer decision on Tyree Wilson
Wilson cleared a 50 percent snap share in Week 6 against the Tennessee Titans as well, then he played a career-high 57 defensive snaps (a 70.4 percent snap share) the following week against the Kansas City Chiefs when Maxx Crosby left with an injury.
The bye week is often an evaluation point for teams, but in the five games since the Raiders were idle, Wilson has played more than 30 defensive snaps just once, and his snap shares have been in the 30 percent range four times.
It's probably a stretch to say that he's being phased out on a 2-10 team, but his role is clearly not going in the right direction. Plus, his sack-less streak is now at eight games heading into Week 14, which isn't exactly something for an edge rusher to hang their hat on.
First-round picks get a four-year contract, with an option for a fifth year if their team chooses to exercise it after the player's third season. So, the Raiders have that decision coming on Wilson, with the deadline to pick up his fifth-year option on or around May 1, 2026.
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If Wilson's failure to break out this season hasn't pushed the Raiders away from picking up his fifth-year option already, the cost will surely clinch it. According to Over the Cap, Wilson's fifth-year option for 2027 is projected to cost $13.6 million. That's just too much for Wilson in his current form.
After he surprisingly popped up as a candidate to be moved at the November trade deadline, there is the vague possibility Wilson will garner some offseason trade interest. If that opportunity comes, Raiders general manager John Spytek is likely to get it done.
The most likely scenario, starting with the almost certainty that his fifth-year option is not picked up, is that Wilson plays out his final season in the Silver and Black in 2026 before departing in free agency the following spring.
Maybe Wilson becomes a viable trade candidate this offseason or before next November's deadline, but that would basically take a complete 180 from where his current performance is. As promising as Wilson has been at times, for right now, there is just no chance he gets his fifth-year option picked up.