The Las Vegas Raiders' defensive line failed to live up to expectations during the 2024 NFL season under head coach Antonio Pierce. While offensive struggles wore down the entire defense at times, a number of serious injuries prevented the group from reaching its full potential.
Malcolm Koonce tore his ACL before the season opener, Christian Wilkins broke his foot in Week 5 and Maxx Crosby missed five games throughout the season with a variety of injuries. The Raiders' expected starting front played no games together, and still just three even if Koonce is excluded.
While both Koonce and Crosby have been on track with their recovery during the offseason program, Wilkins is yet to get a clean bill of health. This has been the talk of Raiders OTAs and training camp, as the fan base holds its breath anticipating the return of the $110 million man.
Tyree Wilson is under immense pressure for Raiders in 2025
Wilkins is certainly under pressure for the Silver and Black as he returns from injury, and Koonce is on a one-year "prove it" deal. Crosby signed a massive extension this offseason as well, yet still, time is not necessarily ticking for any of these players, but it is for third-year defensive end Tyree Wilson.
Wilson was selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, but that was two regimes ago. Defensive coordinator Patrick Graham and defensive line coach Rob Leonard are still in the building, but none of the key decision-makers that brought Wilson to Las Vegas are still with the Raiders.
Although statistically, it looks like Wilson has massively underperformed through two NFL seasons, he actually demonstrated a vast improvement in 2024. He has just 8.0 total sacks in his career and eight tackles for loss, but his run defense grade was among the best in the league last year, according to Pro Football Focus.
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New general manager John Spytek and head coach Pete Carroll have already proven that they are doing things their way this offseason. The release of Jack Jones and choices not to re-sign Robert Spillane, Nate Hobbs or Tre'Von Moehrig sent a message throughout both the team and fan base.
It is entirely possible, even likely, that Wilson will take another step this season and grow under coach Carroll like many have done before him. The new regime prioritizes size and physicality, which the 6-foot-6, 275-pound Wilson has in abundance.
However, he is entering the third year of his four-year rookie contract, and the Texas Tech product has to put it all together at some point. It is unclear just how patient Carroll and Spytek will be with a player like Wilson, which increases the urgency for him to perform in 2025.