One of the NFL Draft’s top prospects, Texas Tech’s Tyree Wilson, received some good news on the medical front today.
The Red Raiders’ star defensive end has been given medical clearance from Dr. Robert Anderson, a specialist in his field. That’s good news! Though it’s worth noting that Wilson won’t be working out at next week’s Texas Tech pro day. So cross that off your watch list if you were looking forward to it.
But this also comes with the silver lining that Wilson plans on hosting teams for a mid-April workout. This would come just in time right before teams finalize their draft boards. Don’t let that April 27 date sneak up on ya.
All in all, this is an update that is worthy of a thumbs up:
Wilson is one of the most intriguing prospects in this draft class. He collected 7 sacks and 14 tackles-for-loss in 10 games last year at Texas Tech. That performance went a long way toward helping him earn All-American and All-Big 12 honors. A foot injury cut his season short, which is a bummer on multiple fronts. However, getting medical clearance from a top doctor in his field is a great sign. Not just for teams who have an interest in drafting Wilson, but also for Wilson himself. We’ve seen so many prospects over the years who have had late-season injuries negatively impact their draft stock. But Wilson getting the green light at this stage of the game is a positive sign.
Potential Chicago Bears Impact
And I hope the Bears are taking notes. Considering they met twice with Wilson at the Combine, I imagine they’re monitoring this situation with great interest, even as their position has changed.
Indeed, when the Bears were picking first, I wasn’t seriously considering Wilson as an option. But Wilson makes a heckuva lot more sense as a possible Bears target with the ninth overall pick. Chicago could use a tone-setter at defensive end. Wilson’s length and athleticism could make him the type of disruptive force you’d want the Bears to take with a top-10 pick. Yes, I know the offensive line has needs. But Wilson could realistically be the best player available, when the Bears go on the clock. They could do worse than to use their pick to bolster a defensive line that struggled mightily to get steady penetration and QB pressures.