Raiders free agency: 5 things about Christian Wilkins

Getting to know new Las Vegas defensive tackle

Christian Wilkins is the prize of the Las Vegas Raiders’ offseason after he signed with the team on the first day of free agency.

We will be getting to know him more very quickly, but here are five aspects of Wilkins the player and person that Raiders fans should know:

He’s improved greatly as a pass-rusher:

Wilkins was best known as a run stuffer for the first few years of his NFL career and he is, indeed, is elite in the ground game. But don’t sleep on his ability as a pass-rusher. Wilkins had 58 pressures in 2023 (a huge leap from previous years) and was the ninth most among defensive tackles in the NFL. He ended up with nine sacks last season, which doubled his previous career high. Those pass-rush numbers should only be assisted by the presence of star defensive end Maxx Crosby. So, Wilkins is a true complete defensive tackle.

He plays a lot:

Wilkins played 894 snaps in 2023, which equates to 81 percent of the snaps. That’s a lot for a defensive tackle. He played even more in 2022 as he played 955 snaps (84 percent). He has missed just two games in five NFL seasons and hasn’t missed a game since 2020. This is a reliable player at a rugged position.

He gets on opponents’ nerves:

Wilkins is a charismatic presence who talks a lot. He is always chattering and he loves getting under the skin of opponents. One of his favorite moves is to steal the towel of opposing offensive players, just to get into their heads. It’s going to be fun to watch his shenanigans while donning the Silver and Black.

Photo by Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images

Plenty of Raiders’ friends:

Wilkins said at his introductory press conference that he heard a lot of good things about the organization from people who played there. Wilkins certainly had a lot of connections to the team. He played for defensive coaches Patrick Graham and Rob Leonard in Miami. Fellow Las Vegas defensive tackles John Jenkins and Adam Butler were teammates in Miami. He played at Clemson with Raiders’ draft picks (none of them are on the team any more) Clelin Ferrell, Trayvon Mullen, Hunter Renfrow, Tanner Muse and John Simpson. So, he’s well aware of how the franchise works.

Mr. Frugal:

Wilkins just signed a $110 million deal with the Raiders. But don’t expect any crazy spending sprees. He is well known for being a penny pincher. He doesn’t buy himself expensive things and in college he was reportedly famous for making his own lemonade at restaurants and picking up loose change off the ground. Wilkins attributes it to being one of eight children in an lower-income family. So, he vowed never to change his ways despite gaining wealth through the NFL. He sounds like a keeper.