The Las Vegas Raiders have started the clock on Tyree Wilson.
Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has been activated from the team's non-football injury list and can start practicing with the team at any point, Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels confirmed on Wednesday.
"It's progressing the way we thought it would," McDaniels said of the rookie pass rusher. "So now it's time to take the next step here and get him on the field and in his pads. Start working toward the ability to be in team drills and all that stuff."
The 6-foot-6, 275-pound pass rusher has been sidelined for the entire offseason after initially undergoing surgery to repair his foot last November. Wilson suffered the injury against Kansas, missing Texas Tech’s final three games and most of the pre-draft process.
Wilson, 23, still went seventh overall in the draft, however, following a breakout senior season in which he had seven sacks, 14 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery last season in 10 games for the Red Raiders.
It’s not yet clear whether Wilson will see any preseason action prior to Week 1. The Raiders continue their exhibition season Saturday against the Rams at SoFi Stadium before finishing up with their final preseason game at Dallas on Aug. 26.
The Raiders have Maxx Crosby (12.5 sacks in 2022), but the rest of last year’s team combined for only 14.5 sacks. Chandler Jones returns following a disappointing season with 4.5 sacks, but the Raiders hope Wilson can add juice to their pass rush, even as he’s been unable to practice until now.