Getty Tyree WIlson, chosen with the No. 7 pick by the Raiders in the 2023 draft
In all, there were 19 Raiders defensive players who saw the field in Sunday’s blowout loss to the Bills in Buffalo, and the folks at Pro Football Focus graded out each one of them. For the second week in a row, rookie end Tyree Wilson was at the bottom of the stack, 19th of 19 with an overall grade of 39.2.
It was rough all around for Wilson. He graded a 43.3 for rush defense and a 47.4 for pass defense. And his tackling was the biggest problem—he rated just a 34.1 there. Wilson had just one tackle on the game, and did not hit or hurry Bills quarterback Josh Allen at all.
If there was one play that summed up Wilson’s afternoon, it was highlighted by former NFL offensive lineman and analyst Brian Baldinger on Twitter—a play in which Allen scrambled to his right and took pressure from Raiders star Maxx Crosby.
On the opposite side, Wilson was being easily held up by Bills lineman Dion Dawkins, more than a half a field away from Allen.
“One guy is being blocked 30 yards away from the play…the guy in the other side is (sic) full metal Jacket. Is anything being said??? Or am I the only person screening?” Baldinger wrote.
.@Raiders one guy is being blocked 30 yards away from the play…the guy in the other side is full metal Jacket. Is anything being said??? Or am I the only person screening #RaiderNation #BaldysBreakdowns
Baldinger Confused by Tyree Wilson Showing
Speaking while showing the play, Baldinger praised Crosby, once dubbed “The Condor” by Baldinger because of his impressive wingspan. But he was at a loss to explain the weak fight that Wilson put up way on the other side.
“Watch two guys on the Raiders,” Baldinger said. “Watch this guy over here (Wilson) rush the passer here. Josh Allen is running. Let’s look at what this guy is doing over here. Dion Dawkins has got his end blocked 30 yards away from the quarterback.”
Baldinger then shifts focus to Crosby, who beat his man, to compare him to Wilson’s struggle.
“That’s how you play the game!” Baldinger said. “I’m sorry, this is ridiculous. Like, I don’t know. What in the world is going on?”
Wilson’s Foot Surgeries Hindering Him
In defense of Wilson, he is a rookie who is coming back from a serious injury. Originally, Wilson injured his foot on November 12 while at Texas Tech, and has required two surgeries since to fix it. That not only wiped out the last part of his senior season, it also wiped out virtually all of his training camp.
The injury could well have cost him draft positioning, too, as he had been slated to go as high as No. 3 last April. Instead, he slipped to the Raiders at No. 7. Wilson possesses a rare combination of power and speed, but he has not shown the right mental approach in two NFL games thus far.
But much of the Raiders defense is in that boat thus far.
“Any rookie, not just rookie, any football player, the first four weeks especially up front, really haven’t had a chance to play football in terms of the spring, there’s no contact,” defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. “They have to get used to, I always break it down into quarters, getting acclimated to playing football again. …
“(Wilson is) working hard and trying to capitalize on his opportunities. I am sure they will increase as the season goes on but he is working really hard, trying to be the best football player he can be and that’s all he can do right now.”