The Las Vegas Raiders’ defensive line had a field day in the Week 6 20-10 win over the Tennessee Titans. The Raiders were constantly in the Titans’ backfield in both phases of the game as several d-linemen stood out, including defensive end Tyree Wilson.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wilson recorded two defensive stops and a career-high 79.1 run defense grade while also contributing three pressures. His work against the run was especially impressive, as those figures ranked tied for eighth and fourth, respectively, among edge defenders for the week. Also, the 2023 first-round pick only participated in eight snaps against the run, giving him a 25.0 run stop rate that was tied for second-best at his position.
So, let’s flip on the tape and break down Wilson’s performance.
As noted with the numbers above, Wilson’s biggest impact on Sunday came against the run.
The Titans run a pull lead concept where, essentially, they’re trying to trap the defensive end by having the inside tight end act like he’s going to block the defensive lineman before working up to the second level while the playside guard pulls for the kickout block.
However, Wilson recognizes it and gets his eyes inside to take on the puller. At the point of attack, he does a good job of using his hands and strength to defeat the block, escape and make the tackle for loss. That being said, he does benefit from the guard’s inside foot getting tangled with the left tackle, who is getting pushed into the backfield by defensive tackle Jonah Laulu.
Tennessee comes out in 12 personnel again and runs another variation of a pull lead concept, pin and pull. Instead of the tight ends leaving Wilson unblocked and the puller kicking him out, the two tight ends are trying to pin him inside while the playside center and guard pull to lead block from the running back on a perimeter run.
But Wilson recognizes the play design, working laterally post-snap and defeating the combo block to stretch the play out. Also, the outside tight end is trying to release up to the second level and pick up linebacker Elandon Roberts, who is crashing downhill. However, Wilson does a great job of tying up and keeping the tight end at the line of scrimmage, helping Roberts defeat the block.
On top of that, the third-year pro keeps his feet moving throughout the rep to defeat the block and make the tackle for a short gain despite getting double-teamed.
This next rep is probably the least impressive of the bunch, but Wilson does a solid job of setting the edge against the split-zone run from the Titans. He has enough outside leverage to discourage the running back from bouncing into the C-gap, and gets extension against the left tackle’s block. The latter allows the defensive end to escape across the tackle’s face and get involved in the tackle at the line of scrimmage.
Moving on to a few pass-rush snaps, Wilson didn’t show up in the box score with any sacks, but he did have a handful of impressive bull rushes like the one above. He has good leverage and gets three points of contact (two hands and a facemask) at the point of attack to push the left tackle and collapse the pocket on quarterback Cam Ward.
Unfortunately, Ward found his checkdown before the defensive end could escape, and I would like to see Wilson get more extension with his arms. Nonetheless, this is still a dominant and encouraging rep from him.
Here, Las Vegas calls a defensive tackle twist with Adam Butler and Wilson. Butler perfectly disguises the line game by working up the field off the snap, capturing the center’s attention. That allows the penetrator, Wilson, to catch the center off-guard and get pressure by being physical and attacking the center. This play was reviewed and ruled an incomplete pass, but it was nearly a strip sack for Wilson.
Also, shoutout to Maxx Crosby for winning around the edge.
The Raiders used Wilson on stunts frequently on Sunday, as he’s the looper on a T/E stunt with Laulu in our final clip.
Laulu does a good job of capturing the left guard’s attention by crossing the guard’s face and attacking the guard’s outside shoulder. Meanwhile, Wilson capitalizes by taking an efficient path to the quarterback, gaining ground vertically while moving laterally. So, the guard is late to pick him up, and he uses a rip move to get a pressure and force Ward to get rid of the ball.
I’m sure the question on everyone’s mind is: “Does this mean Tyree Wilson is finally going to live up to the draft hype?” At this point, it’s safe to assume the former No. 7 overall pick will never live up to that billing. But he is playing good football this season, especially over the last three weeks, and has become a positive player in the Raiders’ defensive line rotation.
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