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

Final draft evaluation for Texas Tech Red Raiders edge rusher Tyree Wilson

After an excellent season, Texas Tech Red Raiders edge rusher Tyree Wilson has ascended to the level of a top 15 prospect in the 2023 NFL Draft. The redshirt senior has all of the physical tools to make an instant impact for a team at the next level and should compete for a top ten selection.

You can view my summer evaluation on Tyree Wilson here.

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Tyree Wilson, EDGE Texas Tech: Updated 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.

2022 Production: 10 games, 61 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 50 pressures, 7 sacks, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery

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: Suffered a possible ankle injury against Kansas (2022)

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

Pros: Elite arm length and wingspan, developing a swim move, size to occasionally reduce inside, sufficient bend to flatten his rush, explosive when he times the snap correctly, play strength to play through contact in half-man rush, torments guards in the run and pass games, quick to use his length and engage blockers, carries his weight very well which creates some positional versatility, some ability to drop into coverage and even detect threats on RB screens and swings, long strides cover ground quickly in pursuit, explosiveness to make plays as a backside run defender, long limbs help him reach in and poke the ball out of the quarterback’s hands, length helps him separate from blocks and redirect to the football, hustles in pursuit, hands pack pop, leg drive to displace linemen, primarily effective as a bull rusher, explosiveness combines with long strides to threaten the tackle’s outside shoulder, will attack the tackle’s inside shoulder when isolated one-on-one, strength to flow down the line to the football in the run game, large tackle radius

Cons: Age, under 200 career special teams snaps, still late getting off the line at times, lacks elite bend, leverage needs to improve as a run defender and pass rusher, not a sudden or twitchy athlete, still dealing with a chunk of missed tackles, lacks the power and leverage to handle double teams, modest short-area agility, not a player you want dropping into coverage consistently, needs to get his hands is more passing lanes for PBUs, not great straight-line speed, need more flashes of converting speed to power, sometimes sealed to create rushing lanes, lacks a diverse pass rush arsenal, still developing counters and secondary moves

Overview: Wilson is unofficially listed at 6'6", 275 lbs. He produced pressure on 10.5% of his pass rush attempts in 2021 and 19.16% in 2022. Texas Tech primarily lines Wilson up as a 5-tech, although it’s common to see him take snaps as a 4-tech and occasionally as a 4i. The redshirt senior’s production caught up to his physical talent this season. Wilson has elite arm length and a large wingspan. He carries his weight well enough that he can fill roles as a 4-3 defensive end or 3-4 outside linebacker at the next level with the ability to reduce inside occasionally. Wilson has an explosive first step and long strides to beat tackles around their outside shoulders or make plays as a backside run defender. He’s quick to use his length and engage blockers. Wilson proved time and again that he was an athletic mismatch against guards in college. The former Texas A&M transfer has the play strength to play through contact in half-man and manipulate his blocker as he works down the line to the football as a run defender. His power shows up as a bull rusher and the instances when he converts speed to power. Wilson’s hands pack pop, and his leg drive consistently displaces linemen. He easily separates from blockers and redirects to the football because of his length. Wilson’s long limbs extend his tackle radius, and he shows effort in pursuit. He deployed a developing swim move in 2022 and showed an increased likelihood to attack the tackle’s inside shoulder from a 5-tech alignment. Despite being an older prospect, Wilson has plenty of room to develop as a pass rusher. He doesn’t frequently use moves outside of his bull rush and swim move. Wilson needs to improve his counters and secondary moves while learning to more effectively deploy his powerful hands. Similar to 2021, he’s still late getting off the line at times, and this eliminates the advantage he gains from his explosive first step. Wilson possesses sufficient bend to flatten his rush angle to the quarterback, but it’s one of the more limited areas of his game. His use of leverage needs to improve as a run defender and pass rusher. Wilson isn’t a sudden or twitchy athlete and possesses modest short-area agility. Missed tackles still pop up on his tape. While Wilson is a powerful defender, his struggles with leverage lead to offensive linemen effectively sealing him on run plays. Ideally, Wilson would get his long arms in passing lanes more often to disrupt the quarterback’s process and generate pass breakups at the line of scrimmage.  

Overall, Wilson is one of the most physically gifted prospects in the 2023 NFL Draft, possessing the arm length, frame, explosiveness, and power to be an immediate impact player at the NFL level. His production skyrocketed in 2022, but the Texas Tech product still needs to work on refining the technical aspects of his game to maximize his physical potential.

Role & Scheme Fit: Defensive end in a 4-3 scheme or a 3-4 outside linebacker

Round Projection: Top 15 Selection

Player Comparison: N/A

Submitted: 11-18-22