The medical field is no different than any profession or corner of life — everyone has an opinion.
One medical professional has his own opinion about Raiders rookie defensive end Tyree Wilson. Deepak Chona M.D., a Harvard-trained sports surgeon who has provided insight for ESPN and others, predicts that Wilson will likely be ready by Week 1 of the NFL season, but his explosiveness could be less than 100 percent due to his still-lingering right foot injury.
Chona predicts there is just a 66 percent chance Wilson, the No. 7 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, will be on the field to start the season. Furthermore, he says Wilson’s explosiveness could be at just 80 percent when he returns. He says that reduced explosiveness is common with Wilson’s type of foot injury and the issue can linger for as long as a year.
Here’s Chona in his own words, courtesy of Medspiration.
The Raiders spent their top draft pick on Tyree Wilson, a potential star but fresh off of 2 foot surgeries. What that means & what to expect from here alongside Harvard-trained sports surgeon Dr. Deepak Chona (@sportmdanalysis). Full video🧵⬇️#LasVegasRaiders #RaiderNation … pic.twitter.com/U2hvE7f6cp
— MEDspiration (@MEDspirationNFP) August 11, 2023
The Raiders took a calculated risk when they drafted the injured Wilson, but they clearly plan for him to contribute to a new-look defense in 2023. If Wilson doesn’t produce this year or isn’t ready for Week 1, it will be a mini-disaster for general manager Dave Ziegler and coach Josh McDaniels.
Albert Breer of SI.com recently reported that Wilson will practice before the season starts, so we’ll just have to wait and see when the Raiders rookie gets on the field. The Las Vegas defense needs all the help it can get, but with Maxx Crosby and Chandler Jones firmly entrenched as starters on the edge, the Raiders can afford to be cautious with Wilson.
It’s likely they can’t afford a lost year from Wilson though. The most concerning part of Chona’s educated prediction is a potential loss of explosiveness. He did say that Wilson could be at 90 percent by Week 8, but that doesn’t sound great either.
It’s all an opinion at this point though. The Raiders and the entire NFL will no doubt judge Wilson based on his on-field performance when he finally suits up.
