The Raiders opted for quality over quantity this offseason on the defensive line. Rather than throwing numbers at the defensive tackle position, as they did in 2023, they decided to pay up for one star player: Christian Wilkins.
While Wilkins has never made a Pro Bowl, there is no doubting his ability. He is one of the top interior pass rushers in all of the NFL and has been so for the past several seasons.
In a recent article by Pro Football Focus, they ranked the top 32 interior pass rushers heading into the 2024 season. That list included Wilkins, who came in at No. 10. Here is what the site had to say about the former first-round pick from Clemson:
New Raiders acquisition Christian Wilkins was an all-around force for the Miami Dolphins over the past few seasons. He has the fourth-best PFF run-defense grade among all interior defenders over the past two seasons and racked up a career-high 61 quarterback pressures in 2023.
Wilkins actually didn’t hit free agency coming off his best season, but his two campaigns before that were among the league’s best.
The Raiders hope Wilkins’s addition will relieve Maxx Crosby of some of the pass-rush workload. But the great news for Las Vegas is that Wilkins is an excellent run defender, which the Raiders needed to improve this offseason.
By every metric, this was a home-run signing by Las Vegas. And the Raiders now have one of the most interesting and talented defensive lines in all of the NFL.
