Raiders mailbag: Plans for rookies Wilson, O’Connell?

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — One Raiders preseason game is in the books. Another is coming on Saturday against the Rams.

That means a lot of questions from Raiders fans.

Here is a sampling of what arrived in this week’s mailbag:

Sacramento_OldMan (@CaliforniaOld): Odds of Tyree Wilson starting Week 1?

VINCENT BONSIGNORE: Wilson, the Raiders’ prized rookie defensive end and the seventh overall pick in the NFL draft, was just cleared to begin practicing on Wednesday. So it would be highly ambitious to expect him to win a starting job the first week of the season.

The Raiders are thinking big picture with Wilson. They knew that he faced a delayed start to his career after injuring his foot last November at Texas Tech. His upside is so immense, they were willing to bet on the long term even if it meant the process of getting him fully healthy cost him some early time.

Ideally, he will be ready to play some snaps in the season opener. But that is predicated on how things unfold over the next three weeks. Eventually, his role will be as a rotational pass rusher sharing time with Chandler Jones and Maxx Crosby. At times he will join those two on known passing downs.

If everyone stays healthy, expect Wilson to finish with sufficient snaps, even if he isn’t declared an actual starter.

Ricardo Peña (@Ricardo317): With the defensive line performing so well the last two weeks, where does the depth chart stand? Who starts? Who gets cut?

VB: That is a million-dollar question, as it appears as if the Raiders have built an extremely deep defensive line. Here is a guess on who makes the cut: Maxx Crosby, Bilal Nichols, Chandler Jones, Jerry Tillery, Tyree Wilson, Jordan Willis, Neil Farrell, Byron Young, John Jenkins, Nesta Jade Silvera and Matthew Butler.

MJ (@Raiders4ws): Tight end seems to be much improved overall. If Josh Jacobs doesn’t sign before the start of the season, do you think we’d see them leaning more on the run with heavy tight-end sets?

VB: It would be a surprise if Jacobs is not on the field with the Raiders to start the season. Either way, expect to see a lot of two and sometimes three tight end looks in run and pass situations.

Luca Myers (@LucaMyers16): What are the odds Tyree Wilson plays this week against the Rams?

VB: He did not participate in any actual team drills with the Rams during joint practice, so the sense is slim to none.

EP RAIDER (@EPRAIDER1): Will Aidan O’Connell get any reps with any starters? Is rookie TE Michael Mayer playing?

VB: O’Connell will likely get some time with a few of the starting offensive linemen. Based on how Mayer looked in practice this week, seems like a good bet he plays against the Rams.

konabro (@situpguard): Curious how Jerry Tillery is doing?

VB: Tillery, a former first-round pick of the Chargers, was brought on late last season and played well as a situational pass rusher. Based on the dynamics of the current defensive line and his pass-rush skill set, Tillery has a chance to flourish playing alongside some players who will draw a lot of blocking attention. The bottom line, he’s looked good in camp.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore at vbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on X.