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The Raiders and Saints have struck a deal midway through the third day of the draft.
The Saints are sending a fifth-round pick to the Raiders in exchange for defensive end Tyree Wilson and a seventh-round pick. Wilson, who was selected with the No. 7 pick of the draft in 2023, will head to New Orleans before he reaches the end of his rookie contract. Wilson, 25, will look to rebound with the Saints, who are taking a chance on a position of need by bringing in the former top-10 pick.
Here’s a closer look at how the deal stacks up for both teams.
Saints receive: DE Tyree Wilson, No. 219 pick
With this deal, the Saints are taking a flier on an edge rusher at a cheap price. Wilson has spent the first three seasons of his career with the Raiders, starting just seven games over that span. He recorded 35 total tackles, four sacks and two forced fumbles in 2025 while playing 41% of the defensive snaps. Wilson has 12 sacks and four forced fumbles over his career thus far.
The Saints were in need of an edge rusher after they failed to land one with their first five picks in this draft. Per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the Saints and Giants had conversations about a trade for Kayvon Thibodeaux, but it did not materialize as New York held firm on their desired compensation. New Orleans instead pivots to Wilson, adding a player with plenty of upside to the room. Wilson will join the Saints on the fourth year of his rookie deal, and unless New Orleans surprisingly picks up his fifth-year option, he will get one year with the Saints before becoming a free agent next offseason.
This move might not pay off for the Saints, but it also doesn’t really hurt them to lose a late-round pick, especially considering they added a seventh-round pick in the deal, too.
Grade: B
Raiders receive: No. 150 pick
The Raiders are moving on from Wilson after just three seasons with the team. Wilson, who the previous regime selected, was a reach in the top-10 from the start and a symbol of the draft issues that have plagued Las Vegas in recent years. The ’23 draft was not a strong one for edge rushers, but the Raiders passed up other talented prospects including Bijan Robinson, Jalen Carter, Jahmyr Gibbs, Christian Gonzalez and Jaxon Smith-Njigba with that pick—players they could certainly use today. Though the Raiders had five first-round picks from 2019 to ‘20, there’s now just one Raiders first-round pick drafted before ‘24 remaining on the roster—tackle Kolton Miller—who the team selected in ’18.
It’s good that the Raiders were at least able to get some value out of Wilson, who is the odd man out in the room after they signed Kwity Paye and Malcolm Koonce in free agency, drafted Keyron Crawford in the third-round, and the Maxx Crosby trade fell through. Still, a former first-round pick turning into a fifth-round return three years later is nothing to write home about, especially since Wilson didn’t even last through his rookie deal.
The Raiders ended up using the No. 150 pick on Arizona defensive back Dalton Johnson, who recorded four picks and broke up seven passes during his final season as a Wildcat. If Johnson becomes a productive piece for the Raiders, this trade will look a little better for Las Vegas.
Grade: C
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EVA GEITHEIM
Eva Geitheim is an NFL writer at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in December 2024, she wrote for Newsweek, Gymnastics Now and Dodgers Nation. A Bay Area native, she has a bachelor’s in communications from UCLA. When not writing, she can be found baking or rewatching Gilmore Girls.
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