KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI – APRIL 27: (L-R) Tyree Wilson poses with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell after being selected seventh overall by the Las Vegas Raiders during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft at Union Station on April 27, 2023 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by David Eulitt/Getty Images)
Las Vegas Raiders first-round pick Tyree Wilson did not want to give Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes bulletin-board material just yet.
Tyree Wilson wants to enjoy life as a Las Vegas Raider for one day before thinking about what comes next — an uphill battle to defeat Patrick Mahomes in the AFC West. Yet, Mahomes didn’t give Wilson that luxury, as he tweeted at his new rival shortly after he was drafted.
Mahomes was cordial, and even a little humorous as he told Wilson to take it easy on him in the battles to come.
Wilson, of course, went to Mahomes’ alma mater in Texas Tech. The two players are quite familiar with one another, as Mahomes is Texas Tech royalty and Wilson is perhaps the NFL’s next young star out of Lubbock.
Raiders: Tyree Wilson avoids giving Patrick Mahomes material
When asked if he had a message to send back to Patrick Mahomes, Tyree Wilson took a step back and instead added nothing at all.
Wilson slipped a couple spot in the draft due to a foot injury, and the delayed surgery timeline. He should be ready to go for the regular season, but that concerned some teams. The Raiders weren’t concerned, and the front office was excited about their selection.
“We thought he was extremely versatile,” assistant general manager Champ Kelly said. “This is a guy who played all along the front, so you could line up with Chan and Maxx and this guy could still find a role to help us rush the quarterback. He is even seen dropping (in coverage) with awareness in some clips, and we were excited by that as well. … You get a guy with that size and extremely long arms who is able to set the edge in the run game and his versatility adds to what you can do with different defensive packages.”
Vegas should have one of the better pass rushes in the AFC if Wilson pans out. That’s a good thing to have when facing the likes of Mahomes and Justin Herbert.
