2023 NFL Draft: Tyree Wilson - Texas Tech Defensive End
Tyree Wilson - Texas Tech
Strengths:
1. Length - His arms are over 35.5" long, and he stands 6'6" already. With an 86" wingspan and unbelievable strength, the leverage Wilson can gain on any offensive lineman is unparalleled.
2. Strength - Wilson is a people-mover at the line. He looks like a defensive tackle throwing lineman around, but carries none of the excess fat.
3. Run Defense - While he could still improve in the area as a whole, his ability to drive back multiple lineman, get off blocks, and dive for tackles from a remarkable distance allowed Wilson to lead the Big 12 in TFLs on the 2022 season.
Weaknesses:
1. Get-Off - Wilson often lags behind after the snap. He frequently still has his hand in the dirt or is performing an unnecessary drop step while his teammates make contact with offensive lineman. This will need to be addressed immediately, as it should be able to improve quickly.
2. Agility - Bend, change of direction, and deceleration are inherent areas of weakness. With his build and athleticism, he will never be too far above average in any of these categories.
3. Overall Quickness - He simply is not an explosive edge rusher. His hand quickness is serviceable, but he clearly is not a twitchy athlete.
Grade: Mid First
Pro Comparison: Carlos Dunlap
Wilson has an even greater arm length, and is a better overall prospect coming out.
Film Notes:
Kansas State (10/01/2022)
Bad drop step for slow line release on 2-point stance. Multiple plays. Extremely strong. Hands were relatively quick, but ineffective. Faster out of 3-point stance oddly enough. Ran right by tackle while only getting one hand on his chest. Consistently slow off of the line. Freakish strength. Poor agility, but good tackle. Good patience. High pad level likely made him miss making the tackle off of block. Bad drop step from 2-point stance consistently causes a slow line release. Drove back guard without gaining leverage. Bull rush against guard to cause fumble. Good use of hands towards chest of opponents. Frequently plays too upright. Drew penalty while gaining pressure against double team. Stunt attempt had poor form and pad level, but he is just clearly stronger than the guard. Drops back in coverage a fair amount. Good closing speed. Effective when lining up in 4i. Good burst from 3-point stance, but still slow off of the line. Interesting swipe from the edge, but lacks the bend to finish. Poor acceleration from 2-point again. Slower motor, likely could have had sack instead of QB hit. Bullied the center. Poor decision on read-option since inside was already covered. Good tackle off block. Great penetration through slants in run game.
Texas (09/24/2022)
Popped up early. Locked up when raising pad level. Often doubled. Slow off of line, but got the sack through double team. Got skinny up B-gap with good quickness. No bend. Drop step on 2-point stance. Gaining pressure, but no playing as aggressively. First off the line, which is good to see. Last off line soon after. Poor closing speed. Slow release is excruciating. Great inside moves from the edge. Putting a tight end on him will not work. Long tackle radius. tremendous length and strength. Good initial strength on bull rush, but lacks the motor. Lacked bend to make play. Appears to be slowing slightly in fourth quarter. Slow off the line with dropstep, incredible strength while using his length, and lacks agility to finish the play - exactly what to expect from Tyree Wilson.
Baylor (10/29/2022) [cut-up]
Decent speed on stunt, but no deceleration or agility. Very strong hands. Long extension when making tackle. Slow release. Bull rush is elite when his pads stay low. Good burst out of 3-point stance on edge. Good angles for his speed on run defense. Gotten off blocks nicely in run defense.
Alignment:
A-Gap - A bit undersized to play nose, but he may still be able to draw a double team with his brute strength and ability to shoot inside gaps.
B-Gap - Surprisingly effective at his size when lining up inside. He could certainly rotate into the B-gap and find success as long as it is not his full time position. He has the raw strength and power to take up two offensive linemen regardless of where he lines up.
4/5-Tech - This is where he will play in the NFL. He will be a solid defensive end in either three or four man fronts.
Edge - He is a bit slow for the edge with no bend in his game, but his bull rush with an extra step before contact is that much more effective.
Off-Ball - Wilson drops back into coverage a surprising amount. He does not appear too comfortable or effective when doing so.
Attributes (Grade/10):
Attributes | Bend | 2 |
Burst | 5 | |
Motor | 5.5 |
Bend: Really has no bend to his game. He looks more like a lean defensive tackle coming off the edge.
Burst: Wilson is quite slow off of the line. From a 2-point stance, he frequently has an unacceptable drop-step that drastically slow him down. This is easily fixable. He has a good first step from a 3-point stance, but he is often the last lineman to react to the snap. This should improve, but is not as easy to fix as his drop step. Wilson's ceiling for this grade is likely below an 8/10, but there is still noticeable room for improvement.
Motor: He will not give up on a play per se, but loses maximal effort quicker than most edge prospects of his caliber. His idea of a second move is to keep pushing and just be stronger than the opponent.
Skillset | Pass Rush | 8.5 |
Run Defense | 8.5 | |
Coverage | 3 |
Pass Rush: His shoulders frequently pop up early and his first step is subpar, but he still manages to be incredibly effective in the pass rush. If he addresses these two issues, he could legitimately be one of the better pass rushers in the NFL despite his lack of speed.
Run Defense: Wilson does well to get off of blocks and make tackles. The distance from which he can make a tackle is impressive, and he led the Big 12 in TFLs in 2022.
Coverage: They dropped him back a bit at Texas Tech, but he did not really show much in coverage.
Hands | Placement | 8 |
Effectiveness | 9.5 | |
Quickness | 7 |
Placement: Placement could be better with coaching and repetition. There is a noticeable change in the quality of Wilson's pass rush when his hands hit their mark verses when they do not.
Effectiveness: Insane length and strength are a great combination with hand placement. He has reps pushing back lineman with just one hand on their chest. His hands are strong and effective regardless of whether he lines up inside, outside, or over tackle.
Quickness: Wilson just is not the most explosive athlete. His length and upper body strength should compensate for his adequate hand quickness.
Line Control | Strength | 10 |
Balance | 9 |
Strength: For a defensive end, this is absolutely a 10/10. He has play strength superior to that of some 300+lbs defensive tackles. This grade would be lower if he played inside, but his strength at the line is unreal for 275lbs.
Balance: Very good balance overall at the line. Occasionally knocked down when he attempted to change directions, but he has great balance linearly.
Pass-Rush Decisions | Versatility | 7.5 |
Technique | 5.5 | |
Execution | 8 |
Versatility: There is a surprising amount of versatility to his game. He can line up in numerous fronts, and be an effective pass rusher from the inside and outside. While he can win from multiple angles, his pass rush moves are limited as a power rusher only.
Technique: His technique could be better in most facets. His pad level, hand placement, and get-off are all inconsistent. He also seems to frequently lack a pass rush plan.
Execution: He still gets frequent pressure despite suboptimal technique on many plays. He was second in the Big 12 in sacks on the season (2022).
Traits | Agility | 4 |
Athleticism | 6 | |
Length | 10 |
Agility: His change of direction is absolutely awful. He has a decent stunt, and his ability to push off laterally is the only reason this grade is not lower.
Athleticism: Tyree is not a top tier athlete, but he is as strong as an ox with unbelievable length.
Full Report:
Tyree Wilson is as dominant at the line as they come. His absurd strength and length combination make him practically unguardable in most one-on-one situations. He knows how to get his hands up towards the chest/neck area of his opponent, and make life hell for them as he drives them back. At 275lbs, he is able to efficiently do this from the edge without carrying all of the excess weight he would have to as a tackle. As a remarkable run defender, it is no wonder he is creeping up inside the top 10 on draft boards with his level of dominance at the line of scrimmage. His weaknesses are as blatant as his strengths. First, he is typically last off the line. While moderately explosive from a 3-point stance, he is often the last defensive lineman with his hand out of the dirt on the snap. From a 2-point stance, he has a hideous drop step which slows him down tremendously. He also is not as powerful off of his first step from a 2-point stance, and actually can get held up at the line from his slow get-off as well as popping up immediately. Second, he has no agility in his game. Not only does he lack bend from the outside, but he has awful deceleration. Wilson will frequently run right by the quarterback once he collapses the pocket. Without a ton of burst, speed, or agility, Wilson is not the typical edge prospect seen rising into the top 10. Wilson is a people mover from the outside with tremendous length. His ability to succeed in pass rush from the outside, inside, and over the tackle makes him a desirable prospect. His film itself is not quite deserving of an early first round pick, but he should still find quick success in the NFL with his skillset. If he addresses his get-off and stance issues at the line, he truly could become one of the very best power rushers from defensive end in the NFL.
NFL Projection:
Wilson will be a top 15 pick who makes an immediate impact in run defense. If he learns how to get off the line faster through coaching, he will become a solid pass rusher making him a complete every down defensive end.
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