Raiders activate first-round pick from NFI list

The Raiders had kept Wilson’s timetable murky, but having their top rookie available to start the season has always been the expectation. Wilson is no longer eligible for the reserve/NFI list to start the season; that designation would have cost the Texas Tech product four games.

Although the Raiders did extensive work on quarterbacks during the pre-draft process, they chose Wilson with their top pick. Viewed as a candidate to go as high as No. 2 overall, the former Big 12 pass rusher’s potential upside generated considerable buzz despite the foot injury being in Wilson’s recent past. Wilson’s junior year with the Red Raiders ended during a Nov. 12 game against Kansas, and the highly touted prospect underwent two surgeries — a second in March — to repair the damage.

Wilson still earned first-team All-Big 12 acclaim for his 2022 work, and he is expected to be used to help keep Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones fresh this season. With Jones’ three-year, $51M contract not including any 2024 guarantees, it is not difficult to see the Raiders planning to move on and go with Wilson opposite Crosby next season. For now, the team will have a promising three-rusher setup ahead of Wilson’s rookie season.