Tyree Wilson, EDGE Texas Tech: Offseason 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Wilson was a three-star recruit from West Rusk High School in New London, Texas in the class of 2018

Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson hasn’t received enough attention this offseason. The redshirt senior has the physical gifts to play himself into the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Wilson’s goal for the 2022 season should be to ramp up his production as he develops more hand counters and savvy pass rush moves.

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Tyree Wilson, EDGE Texas Tech: 2023 NFL Draft Profile

Classification: Redshirt senior defensive end from Henderson, Texas

Background: Wilson was a three-star recruit from West Rusk High School in New London, Texas in the class of 2018. He was the No. 471 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 478 for On3.com. Wilson was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100. He amassed 249 tackles, including 60 tackles for loss, in three high school seasons. Wilson was the Texas District 9-3A Defensive MVP as a senior after producing 126 tackles, including 38 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries. As a high school junior, he made 74 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and four sacks. Wilson originally committed to Washington State before switching to Texas A&M. He transferred from Texas A&M to Texas Tech in August 2020 following two years with the Aggies. Wilson has three sisters named Tierra, Taylor, and Talon. His mother (Tiffany Williams) and a sister played college sports.

2021 Production: 13 games, 38 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 37 pressures, 7 sacks, 1 pass defensed

2020 Production: 9 games, 10 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, 19 pressures, 1.5 sacks

2019 Production: 12 games, 12 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 6 pressures, 1.5 sacks

2018 Production: 0 games (Redshirt Year)

Injuries & Off-Field: N/A

Awards: 2021 Honorable Mention All-Big 12, 2021-22 Liberty Bowl Defensive MVP

Pros: Special teams experience on kick coverage and field goal block units, carries 275 lbs. very well to the point that he almost looks like an outside linebacker, attempts to squeeze through gaps, read and blew up a RB screen beautifully against Mississippi State (2021), identifies and carries RBs slipping out of the backfield when he has no coverage help, quick and long steps allow him to get under the tackle and fight to win the outside shoulder, some instances of reducing inside, alignment versatility, has the play strength and leverage to post wins against guards, too quick and too strong for Mississippi State’s (2021) guards, leg drive creates consistent movement as a bull rusher, hustles to make plays as a backside run defender, powerful hands stun and displace offensive linemen, elite power lets him forklift and torque linemen, makes plays in pursuit, separates from blocks and redirects to the ball with ease, his hips appear loose enough for changing directions without much trouble, long arms let him land the first punch, instances of high-end burst, sets the edge against the run, will vary his tempo as a rusher to lull the tackle, displays adequate but not elite bend

Cons: Age, sometimes gets sealed inside or outside to create rushing lanes, missed tackles are a theme, needs to get his hands up to generate PBUs at the line, little to no experience dropping back in coverage, doesn’t have a deep bag of pass rushing moves, limited counters and secondary moves once his initial rush fails, sometimes his get-off is delayed, gets stuck on linemen while rushing the passer too often, while his bull rush moves the offensive lineman backward it’s usually too slow to generate a sack, attempts to squeeze through gaps sometimes result in him getting caught by linemen, pad level sometimes rises too high, short-area agility is moderate at best, would like to see more complex hand usage considering his elite arm length and power, usage of speed to power can improve

Overview: Wilson is unofficially listed at 6'6", 275 lbs. He produced pressure on 10.5% of his pass rush attempts in 2021. The redshirt senior’s production hasn’t caught up to his physical talent yet. Wilson’s power is among the most impressive in the entire 2023 draft class. Combined with his ridiculous arm length, Wilson’s power allows him to reset the line of scrimmage and displace linemen with ease. The Texas native has a dense frame that carries his weight exceptionally well. His strength and mass make him a formidable presence lined up in the B-gap as Wilson has more power and speed than most guards can handle. His performance against Mississippi State in Texas Tech’s bowl game was ridiculous, and many of his wins came against guards. While he sometimes plays too high, Wilson often explodes out of his stance with proper leverage and even showed flashes of getting under tackles with his long strides and threatening to turn the corner. Wilson makes high effort plays in pursuit and excels at disengaging, redirecting, and locating the ball carrier. However, it’s his power and the pop in his hands that stand out the most. Wilson is still raw as a pass rusher. He doesn’t have many advanced moves or counters to deploy after his initial rush fails. The former Texas A&M recruit relies heavily on an effective bull rush but often doesn’t reach the quarterback quick enough to alter the play. Wilson needs to learn more advanced hand and arm movements considering his length and heavy hands.

Overall, Wilson is one of the most physically gifted defensive linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft. His arm length, power, and dense build offer high upside from a variety of alignments. Wilson could enter the first round discussion if he learns one or two finesse pass rushing moves and increases his production. For now, he’s a traits-based Day 2 project.

Role & Scheme Fit: Defensive end in a 4-3 scheme or a 3-4 scheme; possibly a 3-4 outside linebacker if he drops some weight

Round Projection: Early Second to Early Third

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 08-20-22