Texas Tech DE Tyree Wilson hopes to continue climb at top of NFL Draft boards

Indianapolis — A year ago, Detroit Lions rookie edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson completed his climb to the top of the NFL Draft with his performance in Michigan's regular-season finale against Ohio State.

This year, it looked as though Texas Tech defensive end Tyree Wilson was on a similar trajectory. Unfortunately for Wilson, a projected top-10 pick in this year's NFL Draft and a popular option in mock drafts for the Detroit Lions at No. 6, he didn't have the chance to see things through. His season was cut short by two games — plus a bowl game — when he suffered a broken bone in his foot during a mid-November game against Kansas.

So, he'll try to begin finishing his climb this week, at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. He won't do any on-field work, but the week in Indy will give him a chance to start meeting with teams and get them familiar with his game before Texas Tech's pro day, which he confirmed he'll participate in, along with private workouts.

"I'm a great worker and I'm passionate about football, and ... I'll take the organization to another level," he said.

"At the end of the day, the eye in the sky don't lie. They can turn on the tape and tell I'm passionate about football. Get the ball carrier down, even when it's not my play, and they can tell in my tone that I'm passionate about this game."

When Wilson (6-foot-6, 275 pounds) suffered his injury on Nov. 12, he ranked ninth across FBS in tackles for loss (nine), 25th in sacks (seven) and led the Power Five in total pressures (50). The body of work was a clear step up from the year before, when he also had seven sacks (but just 38 total tackles) in three more games played (13).

"I feel like I'm a different pass rusher," Wilson said. "I'm just not committed to power. I feel like I can do power and speed and be effective inside and outside. ... Really just being that dominant dude on the field."

The foot injury forced him to miss games against Iowa State and Oklahoma — two down programs who would have likely provided Wilson with ample opportunity to keep that hype ticking upward.

Wilson said the recovery from his injury, which required surgery to put a screw in, is "ahead of schedule."

"I think I'm real close to 100 percent," he said. "I just started running. After the combine, I'm going to take it to the next level and start opening up."

nbianchi@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @nolanbianchi