Currently holding the 14th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, the New England Patriots have a lot of options to consider in the lead-up to Round 1 on April 27.
That includes Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson, who “loved the idea of getting time” with Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on a scheduled visit on April 14, according to Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated.
Breer called Wilson a “top 10 lock” who should be gone by the time it’s New England’s turn to pick.
Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson is doing 30 visits with the Jaguars (today), Cardinals (Wed), Raiders (Thu) and Patriots (Fri) this week. Jags and Pats sit lower than he’ll go, but Wilson loved the idea of getting time with Doug Pederson and Bill Belichick.
(Wilson = a top 10 lock.)
Tyree Wilson’s Meeting With Patriots Will Be His Second
Wilson already met with the Patriots at the NFL scouting combine in March, indicating there’s lingering interest in playing in New England, according to MassLive.com’s Mark Daniels, who tweeted that “there’s some smoke here.”
His busy week included visits with the Jacksonville Jaguars on April 11 and with visits lined up with the Arizona Cardinals on April 12 and the Las Vegas Raiders on the following day, according to Daniels.
Tyree Wilson Is One of the Best Defensive Players in the Draft
Wilson is considered one of the top defensive prospects in this year’s draft and is widely expected to be a top 10 pick. He has the potential to be an immediate starter in the NFL and instantly improve the defense of whichever team he joins.
NFL.com’s April 13 mock draft had Wilson going third. CBS Sports predicted the Atlanta Falcons would draft him with the eighth pick. And The Ringer predicted that he’d be picked fifth by the Seattle Seahawks.
Wilson, who is 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, emerged as one of the best pass rushers in the country over his last two seasons at Texas Tech. Wilson used his size and agility to wreak havoc in opposing backfields, racking up 99 tackles (27.5 for a loss) and 14 sacks over the past two years combined. Despite suffering a season-ending foot injury in 2022, he was still named to the All-Big 12 First Team.
Every team in the NFL could use a player like Wilson, including New England.
He is a “long-limbed defender who figures to turn into a full-blown nightmare for opponents if he continues to grow into both his frame and his game,” NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote.
The Patriots had one of the better units in the league last year, but there’s still room for improvement after ranking 11th in points allowed per game and eighth in total yards allowed per game.
Drafting Tyree Wilson Is a Longshot for Patriots
Despite the mutual interest, Wilson is unlikely to end up with New England. That’s because he’ll probably be gone by the time the Patriots are on the clock, unless they make a late trade up to secure a top-10 pick on Day 1 of the draft on Thursday, April 27.
New England has consistently traded down in the draft during Belichick’s tenure (including last year), making such a move unlikely, especially for a defensive player.
In fact, New England averages 3.8 trades per draft during the Belichick era, according to a 2022 story by NESN’s Zack Cox, who wrote that the Patriots have traded down 29 times since 2000 and traded up 16 times.
“Patriots fans won’t be surprised to learn Belichick historically is far more likely to trade back and acquire additional picks than he is to package assets to move up the board,” Cox wrote. “But he also isn’t afraid to be aggressive when the situation calls for it.”
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Potential ‘Top 10 Lock’ Draft Pick Excited to Visit Patriots