The 2023 NFL Draft takes place April 27-29 this year, emanating LIVE from Kansas City, Missouri. As it stands, the Tennessee Titans have one first round draft pick. New general manager Ran Carthon and head coach Mike Vrabel currently hold the 11th overall selection. Over the next couple of months, I’ll be taking a look at some of the prospects who are either rumored to be tied to, have met with, who make sense for the Titans, or who are for some reason being mocked to the Titans even though they don’t really have a need at the position. Whatever – there are no rules here. Today, we’re lookin’ at Texas Tech edge rusher Tyree Wilson.
The beautiful thing about how the Titans have approached free agency so far is how it has freed them up to just go ‘best player available’ at #11 in the upcoming NFL Draft. Do they particularly need another edge rusher? No. They signed Arden Key, who I’m pretty high on. And, they’ll be getting Harold Landry back from injury in 2023. But, what’s the old saying in football? You can never have enough guys who can rush the quarterback. I don’t know that Wilson is necessarily there right now. But, I think there’s a timeline somewhere in this multiverse where Wilson ends up being the best defensive player to come out of this draft class.
Wilson is one of the more polarizing prospects in this draft, despite being named a First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big-12 in 2022. With him, it all comes down to whether you want the high floor or the high ceiling. If you want the high floor, I don’t know that Wilson is your guy. But, if you want the high ceiling, he is. Wilson could be an average run defender in the NFL or he could be the best defensive player to come out of this draft. That’s how I see it with him, as so much of his success is going to depend on where he lands. The fit, the coaching staff, the patience – all of that. If you hit on it, you’re going to have a STUD.
As for what Wilson is right now, he’s a long defender with go-go gadget arms that he uses to stab offensive linemen and knock them off balance. He has pure unchecked bull rush power with natural drive strength…that’s the name of his game. He has one speed: GO! He’s a good edge setter against the run, but man is he raw as a pass rusher. Outside of the bull rush, he doesn’t have a lot of pass rush variance. He doesn’t have an extended tool kit…doesn’t really effectively use his hands. He doesn’t have a spin move. He doesn’t play with the psychology of setting guys up with moves only to hit ‘em with something different later. There’s a way to go with Wilson, but his 6’6” 276lb frame paired with his freakish athleticism give him a lofty ceiling. He does have the fractured foot that is lingering out there as a question mark. He underwent surgery on it several months ago, and it’s kept him out of doing things like the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine, so any team that takes him would want to do their due diligence on that injury to see where he’s at.
I actually think the Titans are in a perfect spot to roll the dice on a guy like Wilson. He doesn’t exactly strike me as the type of player that Carthon and Vrabel seem to be looking for right now. But, if they were to select him, it’s a great place to land. Wilson would not be relied upon to be a difference maker right away, and could spend time with a solid defensive coaching staff honing his skills and learning a more nuanced approach to rushing the quarterback. Ultimately, I think this Titans regime will want to spend that #11 overall pick on a guy who is more polished and NFL-ready, but I don’t think I’d be mad if they ended up with Wilson.
Further Reading: Tyree Wilson Says He Idolizes J.J. Watt
2023 TITANS FIRST ROUND OPTIONS
- Paris Johnson Jr.
- Broderick Jones
- John Michael Schmitz
- Peter Skoronski
- CJ Stroud
- Bryce Young
- Wide receivers
- Devon Witherspoon
If you haven’t already, be sure to subscribe to The Unofficial Titans Podcast on Apple Podcasts, follow us on Spotify, or wherever you take in your podcasts!
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
Subscribe to the SoBros Network Patreon here – $5/month gets you instant access to an exhaustive content library of articles, podcasts, and videos created exclusively for our subscribers!
