2023 NFL Draft Scouting Report

November 18, 2022 1:00 PM EST

Evaluated by: Sam Teets
sam.teets86@gmail.com
Twitter: Sam_Teets33
November 18, 2022

Prospect Overview

2018: Redshirt Year
2019: 12 games
2020: 9 games
2021: 13 games
2022: 10 games to date

Wilson was a three-star recruit from West Rusk High School in New London, Texas in the class of 2018. He was the No. 471 recruit according to 247Sports and No. 478 for On3.com. Wilson was an unranked three-star recruit for Rivals and an unranked three-star recruit for ESPN with a 75 grade out of 100.

Wilson amassed 249 tackles, including 60 tackles for loss, in three high school seasons. Wilson was the Texas District 9-3A Defensive MVP as a senior after producing 126 tackles, including 38 tackles for loss, five forced fumbles, and five fumble recoveries. As a high school junior, he made 74 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, and four sacks.

Wilson originally committed to Washington State before switching to Texas A&M. He transferred from Texas A&M to Texas Tech in August 2020 following two years with the Aggies. Wilson has three sisters named Tierra, Taylor, and Talon. His mother (Tiffany Williams) and a sister played college sports.

Wilson exploded onto the scene last year, tallying 38 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss, 37 pressures, and seven sacks in roughly 600 defensive snaps. However, he's taken his game to a new level in 2022. Wilson produced 59 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 47 pressures, and seven sacks through his first nine games in 2022. His pass rush pressure percentage rose from 10.5% in 2021 to roughly 19.6% so far this year.

Wilson was a 2022 Preseason All-Big 12 Third-Team selection for Pro Football Focus but didn't appear on the Big 12 Media Preseason Football Team.

Unfortunately, Wilson was carted off the field with a lower body injury in Texas Tech's game against Kansas (In November of 2022).

Positives

Wilson is unofficially listed at 6'6", 275 lbs. The redshirt senior's production caught up to his physical talent this year. Wilson's power is among the most impressive in the entire 2023 draft class. Combined with his ridiculous arm length, Wilson's power allows him to reset the line of scrimmage and displace linemen with ease.

Wilson is expected to check in with roughly 35.5" arms (longer than Myles Garrett's) and a wingspan even larger than Travon Walker's 83.25" from last year. This length advantage extends his tackle radius and prevents blockers from getting into his pads.

The Texas native has a dense frame that carries his weight exceptionally well. His strength and mass make him a formidable presence lined up in the B-gap since Wilson has more power and speed than some guards can handle. His performance against Mississippi State (2021) in Texas Tech's bowl game was ridiculous, and many of his wins came against guards.

While he sometimes plays too high, Wilson often explodes out of his stance with proper leverage and even shows flashes of getting under tackles with his long strides and threatening to turn the corner. His leg drive creates consistent movement as a bull rusher. Wilson's power allows him to forklift and torque linemen. However, the power and the pop in his hands stand out the most.

He has the hustle and explosiveness to make plays as a backside run defender. Wilson makes high-effort plays in pursuit and excels at disengaging, redirecting, and locating the ball carrier. His hips appear loose enough for changing directions without much trouble. Wilson excels at tracking the ball carrier and manipulating his blocker to get in position to make a play.

Areas for Improvement

Despite his massive jump in production, Wilson is still raw as a pass rusher. He doesn't have many advanced moves or counters to deploy after his initial rush fails. The former Texas A&M recruit relies heavily on hustle and his bull rush, but those factors often lead to him reaching the quarterback after the ball is already out.

Wilson needs to learn more advanced hand and arm movements considering his length and heavy hands. He could be a high-end starter at the next level if he learns how to attack the tackle's hands consistently and adds/perfects the basic "intro to pass rushing" chop, spin, and swim moves.

Sometimes the most difficult part of building an effective pass rush plan is the mental aspect of setting up and stringing together moves in a matter of moments. That's a hurdle Wilson must clear to maximize his potential.

Wilson is a freakish athlete, but he doesn't have the most bend at the top of his rush arc. He has enough to get by, but no one will mistake him for an elite bender. Wilson has long strides and an explosive first step, but he's not a fast or twitchy athlete in the open field.

Wilson is an explosive player, but his first step is sometimes half a second late. I'm not sure if this is by design and he's reading the play's initial design or if he's truly just not great at timing the snap.

Draft Stock

I gave Wilson an early second to early third round evaluation in August as a traits-based Day 2 project, but he's played his way into the early first round discussion. As of the writing of this report, the former Texas A&M transfer is outpacing presumptive top-ten picks Will Anderson Jr. and Myles Murphy in most key statistical categories. He arguably has better physical tools than the AP Preseason All-Americans as well.

Wilson is one of the most physically gifted defensive linemen in the 2023 NFL Draft. His arm length, power, and dense build offer high upside from a variety of alignments. He could play 4-3 defensive end in the NFL or 3-4 outside linebacker. Despite being listed at 275 lbs., Wilson has the athleticism to play outside linebacker, but he's also capable of reducing inside and playing a few snaps along the interior.

Wilson didn't take snaps against many NFL-caliber tackles this season. Baylor's Connor Galvin, Houston's Patrick Paul, and Kansas' Earl Bostick Jr. were the best tackles he faced.

Even in a class loaded with first, second, third, and maybe even fourth round-caliber edge defenders, Wilson is not in danger of being pushed down draft boards because of the position's saturation. He is a unique physical talent coming off an All-American-worthy season.

Arguably no pass rusher raised their draft stock more than Wilson this season. Depending on the severity of the injury he suffered against Kansas, the Texas Tech star is in play for a top-ten selection in the draft.

Player Comparison

I ran through a few player comparisons when looking for a near match for Wilson. He's a fairly unique athlete, so I didn't find the perfect match. If we're looking for a recent comparison, former Miami Hurricane Gregory Rousseau's massive arms and wingspan, explosiveness, and ability to reduce inside match some of Wilson's traits.

However, Wilson is denser than Rousseau and has even longer arms with a bigger wingspan. The one-year ACC starter also received more snaps lined up between the center and guard than Wilson.

Buffalo eventually picked Rousseau 30th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. He had a decent rookie season but struggled to perform consistently as a year-one starter. Rousseau hasn't reduced inside as much at the NFL level, but he's found a home as the second most productive member of Buffalo's deep defensive end rotation (only trailing Von Miller).

Carlos Dunlap and Preston Smith are two older player comparisons I considered for Wilson. While Dunlap possessed many of the same freakish physical traits as Wilson, he entered the NFL primarily known for his run-stopping capabilities and developed into a terrific pass rusher.

Wilson is already a better sack artist than Dunlap was as a college player, but teams are banking on him undergoing a similar upward swing in pass rush development once he enters the league.

Smith might be the best comparison of the trio I've mentioned. Wilson is more explosive than the former Mississippi State edge rusher, but their physiques, inconsistencies timing the snap, adequate but not elite bend, and versatility to play defensive end or outside linebacker are traits their draft profiles share.

Games Evaluated

• Oklahoma (2021)
• Mississippi State (2021)
• Houston (2022)
• North Carolina State (2022)
• Texas (2022)
• Kansas State (2022)