When your defense has been playing as well as the Las Vegas Raiders, it gives you the freedom to try other things out. That's what the Raiders have been doing with one of their rookies. In this last draft, they went heavy on defense, and while none of the defensive rookies are really having huge impacts, some positives are starting to show for the future.
A big talking point this entire season has been how the Raiders' first pick in the draft, Tyree Wilson, has played. Fans are upset because he hasn't played like a No. 7 overall pick. Instead, he has played like a fourth-rounder, which is about what I would compare his play to. Well, that was before a recent change, that is.
Two weeks ago, the Raiders made a minor change to see what would happen and, I don't know, test something out. Their defense was atrocious last season; it wasn't supposed to be this good in 2023, but it is, so why not try things out?
They moved Wilson, a defensive end, into the middle of the defensive line to get some defensive tackle reps in. Surprisingly, he played very well when he was in the position. But, as he was drafted as a defensive end, not a defensive tackle, this raised some questions.
On Tuesday, when defensive coordinator Patrick Graham did his media availability, he answered the question perfectly.
"For Tyree[Wilson], anytime you have flexibility up in the front, that's a positive, so you can't get beat on where you are lining up, who they're studying in terms of going into the game, and I think the thing for Tyree because of his skill set, in terms of one physical makeup, yes, he's a strong player, can play with good leverage, it allows for us to move him around and maybe take advantage of his quickness, and length on certain guys.
"In many cases, I have been involved with, it's good to move down there early so they understand how to use their hands, and it transfers to them being better players on the outside."
It makes sense to be honest. When he played some on the interior this past game, he looked great. Then, he moved outside and played well. Has he come along like most thought he would? No. But, he didn't really have a training camp, was coming off of foot surgery, and the staff knew he was raw, with a year or two to go before he was legit.
Now, the positive thing is he has gotten better almost every week. It will be interesting to see how he develops over the offseason. If he can be what the Raiders thought he could be, their defense can be even better next year.
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