Tyree Wilson 2023 NFL Draft profile: Scout report for the Texas Tech EDGE
Tyree Wilson, Texas Tech: 6’6”, 275 pounds.
A top-500 overall recruit in 2018 for Texas A&M, Tyree Wilson was a small part of the rotation with the Aggies for two years (22 tackles, 4.5 for loss, three sacks) before transferring in-state to the Big 12.
In his first season as a full-time starter with the Red Raiders, he recorded seven sacks and 13.5 tackles for loss (2021). This past season he was a second-team All-American, thanks to 61 tackles, 14 for loss, seven sacks and one fumble forced and recovered each.
Tyree Wilson scout report: Strengths
+ This guy has an insane combination of length (35 and 5/8-inch arms) and power, with the desire to just blow into people in front of him.
+ Largely played the 5-technique in three-man fronts for TTU, along with moving out over the tight-end or sliding inside depending on the side, which didn’t necessarily lend itself to major production.
+ You routinely see him drive offensive linemen backwards near the point of attack or squeeze them into the action from the backside.
+ When he’s actually lined up on the outside-shoulder of tackles and presses off with that inside arm to set the edge, it’s beautiful.
+ Takes tight-end assigned with blocking him as a personal vendetta, literally pan-caking some guys who try to seal him away from the action.
+ Even on combo-blocks, if he attacks the chest of the guy across from him, he manages to not open up legit lanes inside of him.
+ You combine that with his explosiveness in short areas and he can crash through the reach of blockers on slants, to be disruptive and get initial contact on the back.
+ The fact that he only registered 38 total tackles in ’21 is laughable, considering how many stops he forced by just riding somebody into the ball-carrier and made that guy stop his feet behind the line of scrimmage. Last year that number expectedly jumped up to 61, despite only playing ten games.
+ Watching last year’s game against TCU, he single-handedly destroyed run schemes and knocked a likely top-50 pick at guard in Steve Avila back at contact on a kick-out block in order to get the TFL.
+ When Wilson sells out for the bull-rush, he can ride tackles or guards back into the quarterback’s lap in devastating fashion, especially from tilted alignments.
+ You see him lift up large men and then show the quick burst to get around those guys before they can get those foot back on the ground. He straight-up trucked Houston's left tackle in 2021.
+ However, what’s most impressive about him rushing the passer is his uncanny ability to re-gain his balance, even when caught in odd positions and seemingly about to fall to the turf.
+ He can win around the corner with a downward chop and flatten better than many speed-based outside rushers.
+ Plus, he’s so damn long that you constantly see him be able to swipe away the reach of blockers.
+ For a 275-pound man, his ability to add a little shake and jump inside of tackles when rushing from wider alignments is pretty freaky.
+ Truly has the versatility to rush basically anywhere from a zero- to a wide-nine technique. Frequently was reduced inside over guards on passing downs, where he displayed his incredible balance to somehow stay on his feet as he’s getting banged around.
+ The Red Raiders also used him on some delayed stunts up the A-gap, where his closing burst to the QB really popped.
+ Yet, he will also gladly do the dirty work and launch himself into one of the interior guys slanting across the formation to create issues with the pocket, which enables somebody else to get free.
+ Recorded a career-best 50 pressures on just 261 pass-rushing snaps, with a 22.3% pass-rush win rate.
Tyree Wilson scout report: Weaknesses
– Tyree Wilson's block-recognition is very basic and you regularly see him just bang into bodies (once I saw him almost follow a tight-end on a drag route, since that’s who he initially put his hands on, even though that clearly wasn’t his responsibility).
– In particular, recognizing angular blocks and anchoring against them is something he needs to learn in order to not make the job on the second level harder.
– Other than slicing through one shoulder of his man or going for the straight-up bull-rush, there’s not much of a pass-rush plan to speak of.
– Simply has to do a better job of attacking one half of the blocker when he isn’t tasked with some kind of slant/stunt.
– And while it helps him fight off blocks, he doesn’t utilize his length pro-actively to avoid having hands land inside his chest.
Tyree Wilson scout report: Grade
I’m kind of glad that Tyree Wilson didn’t participate in the combine events, because I didn’t want to seem like a prisoner of the moment and pump him potentially the first defensive player of the board. This is what happened with eventual top draft pick Travon Walker going to Jacksonville last year.
I was much more in with him coming out of the summer, considering he was so much more productive and I felt his impact much more regularly, despite playing a similar role as Walker did at Georgia.
The violence he plays the game with, combined with the alien-like physical skill-set, is just crazy to watch. His ability to recognize plays, the hand-placement and how he sets up his rush-moves all need work, but you can’t teach what Tyree Wilson brings to the table. I've already seen him beat up offensive lineman who I know will play for NFL teams, even if you think the Big-12 competition isn’t up-to-par.
I’d have no problem with him being drafted from number five onwards. My only question is why it hasn’t totally clicked for him yet as a fifth-year senior.
Grade: Top-ten overall
You might like other 2023 NFL Draft Scouting Reports: Will Anderson Jr. (EDGE), Alabama; Jaxon Smith-Njigba (WR), Ohio; Zay Flowers (WR), Boston; Jordan Addison (WR), USC; Jalin Hyatt (WR), Tennessee; Jordan Addison (WR), USC; Quentin Johnston (WR), TCU; Zach Charbonnet (RB), UCLA; Bijan Robinson (RB), Texas.
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