What will Christian Wilkins bring to Las Vegas?

Getting info on Raiders new defensive tackle from The Phinsider

The Las Vegas Raiders landed one of the biggest fish in free agency, defensive tackle Christian Wilkins from the Miami Dolphins. But what will Wilkins bring to Las Vegas? We reached out to our friends over at The Phinsider to get some information on the Clemson product and Kevin Nogle was kind enough to answer a few questions.

Question: The Dolphins were up against the cap, but was that the only reason why they let Wilkins go, or is there another underlying reason?

Answer: It really was a salary cap decision. The Dolphins would have loved to keep Wilkins, but the asking price was just so much more than they could afford. The two sides tried to come to an agreement last offseason, but Wilkins bet on himself and he won that bet.

Question: Wilkins seems to have a pretty big personality. How would you describe him as a leader and off the field?

A: He is just awesome. He is a player the other players love and one the fans will love. He is a big giant goofball in the best possible ways. He is going to be the first player in the endzone celebrating with the offense when they score. He is just so much fun to have on the team. He is a leader, he is vocal, and he is…fun.

Q: Just judging by the stats, it looks like he took a while to catch on as a pass rusher. What was the difference in his play between this past season where he logged a career-high nine sacks and the previous four when he had 11.5 sacks combined? Is it a situation where the stat sheet doesn’t tell the whole story?

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A: I think a couple of things went into this past season’s breakout. There is obviously something to the contract year bump you often see with players, but I think it was more than that.

I think the scheme worked for Wilkins, with the team relying more on their front four to create pressure under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio instead of the blitz-happy defense from the Brian Flores and Josh Boyer era. I also think the presence and breakout of Zach Sieler helped Wilkins.

Sieler does not have the name recognition of Wilkins, but he was huge in creating mismatches that favored Wilkins as well as opening up space for himself when teams focused on Wilkins. The Raiders will have to figure out someone on their defense to be a complimentary player in the pass rush to Maxx Wilkins’ abilities (pun intended). Hopefully, you can think of someone like that.

Q: What would you say Wilkins’ biggest strength and weakness is on the field?

A: Despite the nine sacks in 2023, Wilkins’ strength is actually as a run-stuffer. He plugs gaps in the line of scrimmage really well, and he can force running backs to have to try to cut back, right into the strength of the defensive scheme. That all said, Wilkins’ athleticism allows for him to be highly effective as an interior pass rusher and he always seems to be in the right spot to clean up as a quarterback is flushed into the pocket.

You are also going to love the ridiculousness of Wilkins somehow being the guy 15 yards down the field making a tackle on a running back or wide receiver. He does not give up on a play and he is somehow tracking down a play from behind to make the tackle. He is a big man that can move.

His weakness may be that he does need that complimentary player on the line with him. Opposing offenses will have to account for him, but if he is the primary focus for the defense’s attack, teams can gameplan for him. When you have someone like Maxx Crosby as the main focal point, Wilkins can shine.

Q: In your opinion, has Wilkins reached his peak or are his best years ahead of him in Las Vegas?

He is definitely hitting his prime right now. Statistically, 2023 will be hard for Wilkins to match, but that goes back to your question earlier – stats may not tell the whole story.

Wilkins may not be a nine-sack player again, but he may be the guy who is forcing pressure up the middle, making a quarterback step into an edge rusher who records the sack. The Raiders scored an amazing acquisition with Wilkins, one that should pay dividends for several years to come.