The Las Vegas Raiders made a bold move in the 2023 NFL Draft when they selected defensive end Tyree Wilson with the No. 7 overall pick. Fast forward three years, and that decision has come full circle in disappointing fashion. On Day Three of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Raiders traded Wilson—along with a seventh-round pick—to the New Orleans Saints for the No. 150 overall selection, which they used to draft Arizona safety Dalton Johnson. Essentially, the Saints valued Wilson at the cost of a mid-fifth-round pick.

That's a steep fall for a player once considered a top prospect. Wilson, who will hit free agency next year after his fifth-year option was declined, never lived up to the hype in Las Vegas. Over three seasons, he appeared in 50 games but started just seven. His stat line tells the story: 12 career sacks, with a personal best of 4.5 in 2024. He remained a rotational player who rarely made game-changing plays—a tough pill to swallow for a No. 7 overall pick.

When Wilson entered the league out of Texas Tech, he was widely regarded as a premier edge rusher. In fact, some draft analysts even speculated that he might be more coveted than Alabama's Will Anderson, who went No. 3 to the Houston Texans. That comparison hasn't aged well. Anderson has been dominant, recently signing a contract extension that made him the highest-paid pass rusher in the NFL. The Texans clearly made the right call.

So, what went wrong for Wilson? The only red flag heading into the draft was a foot injury, which limited his rookie practice schedule. But that wasn't the culprit. Wilson's struggles in Las Vegas came down to a simple issue: he didn't make enough plays. When a high draft pick fails, it's natural to wonder who the Raiders could have selected instead. For former general manager Dave Ziegler, the list of missed opportunities is glaring.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter, taken at No. 9 by the Philadelphia Eagles, has become a force in the trenches. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez, selected at No. 17 by the New England Patriots, has shown star potential. However, Carter came with off-field baggage—he was involved in a fatal car crash before the draft. Picking him would have been a tough sell for the Raiders, especially after they released wide receiver Henry Ruggs following his deadly DUI crash just two years prior. It's a cautionary tale about how context and timing can shape draft decisions, and for Las Vegas, it's another reminder of what might have been.