Raiders take Tyree Wilson in 1st round of NFL draft

With the AFC loaded with great quarterbacks, the Raiders tried to do something about it in the first round of the NFL draft Thursday.

No, they didn’t draft a quarterback, instead taking one of the most highly regarded pass rush prospects in the draft.

The goal is simple: To slow division stars Patrick Mahomes and Justin Herbert, along with Joe Burrow, Josh Allen and others in the conference, it starts with getting pressure on the quarterback.

That’s the Raiders’ hope in selecting Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson, who seemed a long shot to be available at No. 7. But Wilson was there for the taking, perhaps because of some mild concern over the foot injury he suffered last season that caused him to miss the final three games.

The Raiders, in need of help at all three levels of their defense, were more than happy with the development, in which two trades were made before they were on the clock. Wilson was projected by many analysts to go before cornerback Devon Witherspoon (No. 5 to the Seahawks) and offensive tackle Paris Johnson Jr. (No. 6 to the Cardinals), making Wilson available.

In a draft thin on elite pass rushers, the Raiders secured a prospect most analysts rated as the best or second-best edge rusher alongside Alabama’s Will Anderson, selected third by the Texans.

“Definitely excited that he was there,” general manager Dave Ziegler said. “Going into it, we weren’t sure he was going to be there or not.”

Wilson, 22, said the Raiders are getting a player who is “relentless and disruptive.”

As for the foot injury, which limited Wilson during the on-field portion of the draft evaluation process, he said he “feels great” and expects to be ready for training camp.

The 6-foot-6-inch, 275-pound Wilson began his career at Texas A&M, where he played one season. He blossomed after transferring to Texas Tech, where he played three seasons and accumulated 15.5 sacks and 109 tackles — including 29 behind the line of scrimmage — in 30 games.

The selection was sealed, assuming he still would be on the board, during Wilson’s visit with the Raiders last month at their Henderson facility. He described the visit as “different” compared to others he took — but for good reasons.

“I felt like everybody in the building cared,” he said. “The facilities were the best in the NFL. I had a lot of great relationships. It felt like I’d been there for a while, but I was only there a day.”

He relayed that sentiment to the Raiders.

“We knew before we got to this point this was a place that he wanted to play,” Ziegler said. “He made that clear to us.”

Wilson adds immediate length, power and explosiveness to a defensive line in need of those traits. Ironically, one of the current NFL veterans he draws comparisons to is his new teammate, Chandler Jones, who now becomes a mentor to Wilson.

The Raiders prioritized finding a pass-rush complement to Jones to lower his snaps and potentially get more out of him, but also to identify his eventual successor. Wilson will fight for snaps as a rotational replacement for Jones and Pro Bowler Maxx Crosby — and at times together with them in what the Raiders envision as a potent pass rush trio.

“I’m excited to join the team and learn from guys like him (Jones) and Maxx to help take my game to another level,” Wilson said.

Crosby, in particular, is an edge player Wilson has kept a close eye on.

“He’s a great pass rusher, dominant, a disruptive player that’s going to be relentless all over the field,” Wilson said.

To celebrate the moment, Wilson nearly took out NFL commissioner Rodger Goodell with an enthusiastic bear hug.

“I made a commitment last week that I was going to lift him up,” said Wilson, smiling.

As he approached Goodell, Wilson had one message for him.

“It’s your time,” Wilson told him before lifting Goodell into the air.

“I did it,” Wilson said. “But it was that excitement and commitment.”

And perhaps a sign of things to come against future opposing quarterbacks.

Contact Vincent Bonsignore atvbonsignore@reviewjournal.com. Follow @VinnyBonsignore on Twitter.