Scouting the 2023 NFL Draft: Tyree Wilson, Edge, Texas Tech

Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson enters the 2023 NFL draft process as one of the premier edge defender prospects in the class. He joins Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr. and Clemson’s Myles Murphy as potential top-15 picks and players who will instantly upgrade their team’s pass rush on Day 1.

Wilson was a three-star recruit and was named a top-75 player in Texas following his tenure at West Rusk High School. He began his college career at Texas A&M before transferring to Texas Tech in 2020. Since joining Texas Tech, Wilson’s appeared in 30 games with 109 tackles, 29 tackles for loss, and 15.5 sacks. In 2022, Wilson totaled a career-best 36 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, and tied a career-high with seven sacks.

Physically, Wilson is a scheme-diverse 6054, 270 pounds. He possesses rare length (his arms measured 35 5/8 inches in the spring) that will give him an advantage against most offensive tackles in the NFL. Wilson is high-cut but has well-distributed mass throughout his upper and lower half. He carries 270 pounds well. He could probably bulk up if needed, but his current weight seems perfect.

Athletically, Wilson has good twitch off the snap for a 270-pound edge defender. He gets into his initial rush move quickly and puts opposing tackles on skates almost immediately. His length and stride help him cover a lot of ground, especially when closing on a quarterback in the pocket. Wilson can finish plays others can’t because of the top-tier combination of his size and above-average quickness. He’s good enough when moving laterally, too. Wilson doesn’t have any major deficiencies as an athlete.

As a pass-rusher, Wilson possesses unteachable traits via his length and overall body type. His reach is elite, he can grab a quarterback from a distance most pass rushers can’t. That, combined with a well-defined set of pass-rush moves (swim, rip, bull rush), makes him a dangerous player in passing situations. He’s a strong dude at the point of attack who can collapse the pocket and cause disruption even if he doesn’t finish the play. Wilson is at his best with his hand in the dirt and engaged in hand-to-hand combat with opposing linemen. He won’t win many races around the edge as a pure speed rusher.

Against the run, Wilson is a powerful defender who wins with brute strength and power. He excels when plays are run at him, he can stack opposing linemen into the play’s aiming point, shed, and finish. Wilson plays with a hot motor and doesn’t give up on plays run away from him. Despite having impressive athleticism and straight-line burst, he’ll struggle against wiggle runners in space. But he’s plenty athletic enough to make stops in pursuit. He drives runners into the ground with angry intentions, too.

Overall, Wilson is a Day-1 starter in the NFL whose best fit is as a defensive end in a 4-3 scheme. He has plenty of length and strength to play defensive end in a 3-4, too, assuming he adds weight to his 270-pound frame. Wilson is the kind of prospect who can hover around 10 sacks per season in the NFL as an eight to 10-year starter, assuming he stays healthy. That’s a first-round value.

Grade: First round

How Tyree Wilson fits the Chicago Bears:

The Bears’ need for a hand-in-the-dirt pass-rusher makes Wilson a high-ranking prospect on their wish list. He’ll begin his career with more polish than 2022 fifth-round pick, Dominique Robinson, and his ceiling is significantly higher than Trevis Gipson’s. Wilson would instantly be the Bears’ best pass-rusher before his first NFL snap.

However, Wilson is unlikely to become a Bear because of where Chicago is expected to pick in the first round. There’s a chance he’ll be a top-15 selection, but rating him in the top-five range (where the Bears are slated to pick) is a bit rich.