The Las Vegas Raiders spent many years looking for the right defensive end to play opposite Maxx Crosby or give Crosby much-needed plays off during the season. The Raiders used the seventh-round pick in last year’s NFL Draft on Tyree Wilson, a physically gifted player who needed further development upon entering the league.
After missing his first offseason in the league as he nursed an injury for most of the summer, Wilson enters his second season with the benefit of an entire offseason training program. Wilson has noticed a difference as he’s been able to physically prepare differently this offseason, as he is no longer recovering from an injury.
Wilson told reporters on Tuesday that he has had the chance to learn as much as possible from Crosby. Wilson explained Crosby had taught him that production on the field starts with how well a player takes care of themselves off the field. 
“I feel like it starts off the field,” Wilson said. “You’ve got to have good weight, good eating habits, sleeping habits to be the best on the field. I learned that from a leader in the room, Maxx Crosby. So, I tried to work with him all offseason to improve my game on the field.”
Wilson said he also had the chance to get away from football altogether for some time this offseason, which helped as well.
“Every guy needs different things in training, so I went back home and just worked on the eating habits, worked on to get off, worked on me,” Wilson said. “Just get away from coaches that are working with everybody and just have somebody that’s focused on me. And then came back here and there and worked out with Maxx [Crosby] and worked out with the guys.”
Now that he’s back, Wilson is looking forward to learning as much as he can from Crosby to help him become a better defensive end, and defensive lineman Christian Wilkins can help Wilson with his play on the interior defensive line.
“Maxx is more of a defensive end, and with Coach [Patrick] Graham and the guys moving me inside, I can pick Maxx’s brain, but I can also pick Christian’s [Wilkins] brain because he plays inside and is real dominant on the technique of taking on bigger guys and being stronger and low in the gaps to be able to tackle the running back,” Wilson said.
