Recently-added edge rusher Tyree Wilson was one of the more intriguing players as the New Orleans Saints began training camp.
A top-10 draft selection in 2023, Wilson was acquired via a draft day trade with the Las Vegas Raiders and now has a chance to carve a new path with a fresh start with the Saints.
Louisianasports.Net spoke with Saints Defensive Coordinator Brandon Staley, who shared a promising progress report on the talented, 6-foot-5, 263-pound edge defender.
“Really good makeup,” Staley said of Wilson after Friday’s practice. “He’s a very hard worker. He’s a willing student of the game, and he’s a work in progress. I think he’s made good strides here at the beginning of training camp, and it’s going to be good for him once we start going live.”
Part of the reason Staley believes live reps will be beneficial for Wilson is because of how many reps he sees during Saints training camp practices.
While players at the top of the position group often work with only the first team, Wilson has seen snaps across all three. That was a goal of Staley’s coming into camp.
“We want him to lead us in reps on the edge,” Staley said. “We want to get him all the work that he can. He needs it within our system, and I think it’s going to give him the opportunity to really grow and improve. But we’ve loved coaching him.”
Wilson’s build and length have been consistent highlights of his physical toolset. Ones that have allowed him to make plays already throughout camp.
With additional opportunities via a wealth of snaps, however, Staley and Defensive Line Coach Jay Rodgers have been helping Wilson cultivate more ways to use those God-given traits.
Such an approach to coaching is another reason the production in camp is starting to match the potential for the former No. 7 overall selection. The Saints’ focus hasn’t been to coach him to do what they want him to do, rather to coach him to best use the abilities and traits he always has.
“I think teaching him (the) technique that allows him to be more aggressive is really what all the players want,” Staley said. “But I think for him, it’s going to unlock more playmaking, and that’s what we’re trying to do with him: is show him how he can affect the game and run game and pass rush. All these players are different, so using his abilities and coaching to his strengths, and I think we’ve got a good track record of that, especially his position.”
