Tyree Wilson Will Be the First Defender Selected in the 2023 NFL Draft

Jack Borowsky explains why the former Texas Tech star will be the first defender selected in the 2023 draft.

Last year, it was a shock to many when the Jaguars selected Travon Walker ahead of Aidan Hutchinson. Hutchinson was an All-American and the most productive player in the nation. He had all the accolades and was almost a shoo-in to be the top pick in the draft until about a week beforehand when Walker started to garner more attention.

By draft day, it was clear Jacksonville was taking the six-foot-five, 272-pound defensive end with 35 ½ inch arms. He tested off the charts and NFL teams have continually shown in the draft they value upside and what a prospect could be three years down the line.

In this year’s class, a similar situation is happening as we count down the days to the draft. With Jalen Carter’s off field situation, it is a two-way race between Will Anderson Jr. and Tyree Wilson to be the first defender drafted.

Going into the season, many analysts thought Anderson Jr. was a “generational” prospect and the clear-cut top edge rusher. He was a former five-star recruit and the best player on an Alabama roster that had made it to back-to-back national championships. Anderson Jr. was all anyone talked about going into the season.

On the other hand, Wilson was a three-star recruit who had transferred from Texas A&M before the 2020 season. He had gone under the radar for most of his career until draft analysts revealed that the NFL thought highly of Wilson this past summer.

Even after he started to receive some buzz, no one put Wilson in the same category as Anderson Jr. or even the likes of Myles Murphy and Isaiah Foskey. Now it is a much different story. Wilson is neck and neck with Anderson Jr. to be the first defender drafted, for good reason.

After building on a strong 2022 season, Wilson was the most dominant defensive end in college football last fall. Wilson was virtually unblockable, displaying rare length, power and athleticism for a player of his size. Wilson has the pop in his hands to jolt back tackles on every play. As he develops more pass rush moves, Wilson is going to be so hard to stop. Also, with NFL teams trying to get the ball out quicker, players who can push the pocket on a down-to-down basis are becoming more valuable.

He was an excellent run defender too. Wilson displayed on tape that he can set the edge and then disengage from blockers to get to the ball carrier. It was hard to find reps where Wilson didn’t win at the point of attack. He is easily the best run defender in the draft and could be an elite one at the next level.

The amount of wow plays Wilson had on tape was unmatched in this class at defensive end. With his size, strength and length, Wilson could also kick inside on pass rush downs and play all over the defensive line.

What Wilson brings to the table is an excellent combination of a high floor and a really high ceiling. Once he fully develops his pass rush plan and continues to refine his game, Wilson will not only be one of the best defensive ends in the NFL but one of the best players.

Unlike Walker versus Hutchinson, Wilson showed much more than Walker did on film as a pass rusher. Walker had flashes of upside, while Wilson destroyed offenses on every rep. Yes, Anderson Jr. has a really high floor and should be a high pick but Wilson also has a high floor and his ceiling is so much higher.

If Carolina hadn’t traded up to one to take Bryce Young, Wilson would have been the first pick in the draft. Houston is now in an interesting spot, as they need a quarterback but don’t have the cornerstone on their defense. New Head Coach Demeco Ryans is a defense-first coach, so Wilson might be too enticing to pass up. If Houston goes the quarterback route, the Cardinals get to take Wilson.

Come draft day, Wilson will be the clear favorite to be the first defender drafted and the second pick overall. Whichever team takes him will get a safe player with the upside to be a perennial all-pro and the face of their franchise.

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