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Patrick Mahomes was quick to reach out to former Texas Tech star Tyree Wilson after he was the seventh pick of the NFL Draft first round, heading to the Las Vegas Raiders.
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Mahomes was drafted from Texas Tech in 2017. He ended up at the Chiefs, where he has won two Super Bowls and become one of the best NFL players.
Now, Wilson, the highest-ever drafted Texas Tech defensive player, is set to come after Mahomes later this year. The Chiefs and Raiders will meet twice a season as both teams are in the AFC West division.
On Twitter, Mahomes reacted to the proposition of facing Wilson twice a season. The QB tweeted a welcome to Wilson: "Take it easy on me big dawg!! @tyreewilson77 congrats tho!!"
Take it easy on me big dawg!! @tyreewilson77 congrats tho!!
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) April 28, 2023
Fans of Mahomes took to Twitter in reply to the Chiefs QB, with one warning him: "He's gonna get you at least once this year Pat. Get ready."
Another wrote that there could be a fearsome partnership at the Raiders: "Between him and @CrosbyMaxx They gonna cause some issues."
Lining up with defensive end and Pro-Bowler Maxx Crosby was one possibility that excited Wilson when he spoke at the NFL Combine in March at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
The edge rusher recalled that he told the Raiders during his pre-draft interview: "If I get to join Maxx Crosby, it would be two great pass rushers on the field to help each other."
With this now becoming a reality, Wilson told the media: "I'm excited that they picked me."
After his draft selection, Wilson spoke about what he is hoping to bring to the Raiders. He racked up 109 total tackles, 29 tackles for loss and 15.5 sacks with a Second Team AP All-American selection, while at Texas Tech.
Wilson said: "I would say my biggest strength is being versatile, being able to play wherever they need me to play.
"And there's other things that I need work on like locking out all the time and playing with pad leverage and just being more technical sound. Coming from college and going to the NFL, that's the biggest thing that you have to work on."
Raiders general manager Dave Ziegler spoke about the reasons why his team had selected Wilson. He added that the Raiders were surprised that Wilson was still available when it came to the seventh pick.
Ziegler said: "We knew even before we got to this point this was a place he wanted to play.
"This was an organization he wanted to play for. He made that clear to us before we even drafted him. A lot of excitement, this is a huge moment for all of these guys and for Tyree," Ziegler added. "The dream of being of an NFL player and being a Top 10 pick; you can hear the excitement in his voice.
"I think you saw him get up to the stage and pick the commissioner up in the air," Ziegler continued. "Just a lot of energy, a lot of juice. He's ready to get to work and he's ready to learn. He's ready to learn from the guys that are here. He's ready to earn his keep and be an accountable player."
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