Five-year veteran defensive tackle Christian Wilkins has signed a new contract with the Las Vegas Raiders. Wilkins, a former first-round pick, spent the entirety of his career with the Miami Dolphins.
Splash: One of the top free agents is off the market, as #Dolphins star DT Christian Wilkins is headed to the #Raiders, sources say.
He gets a 4-year deal worth $110M base value that includes $84.75M guaranteed in a contract done by @DavidMulugheta of @AthletesFirst. pic.twitter.com/aKwKFIfU5T
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 11, 2024
Christian Wilkins, Las Vegas Raiders, Agree to Contract
Defensive tackle Christian Wilkins finished up the final year of his contract in glorious style. Starting in all 17 games, the Clemson product had what was probably the best season of his career, recording a career-high nine sacks, 65 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, and 23 quarterback hits. With Wilkins’ help, the Dolphins made it to the playoffs but ultimately fell short to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Wilkins originally entered the league as a first-round pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Selected by the Miami Dolphins, the Clemson product made an immediate impact for his family. Starting in the middle of Brian Flores’ defense, the defensive tackle recorded two sacks, 56 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, and four quarterback hits during his first season in the pros. He did all this while routinely eating double teams and freeing up others to make plays.
Christian Wilkins had a similar season in 2020, appearing in 14 games while recording 1.5 sacks, 47 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, and three quarterback hits. He also managed to record the first interception of his career as his franchise improved to 10-6 with Ryan Fitzpatrick and Tua Tagovailoa splitting quarterback duties.
The defensive tackle continued to improve in 2021, recording 4.5 sacks, 89 tackles, 10 tackles-for-loss, and 13 quarterback hits while starting in all 17 games. However, the team parted ways with Brian Flores following the season and brought in Mike McDaniel. Wilkins proceeded to prove that he can play well in a variety of schemes, as he recorded 3.5 sacks, a career-high 98 tackles, 16 tackles-for-loss, and seven quarterback hits during his first year in the new system.
Since signing his rookie contract, Christian Wilkins has recorded 20.5 sacks, 355 tackles, 43 tackles-for-loss, and 50 quarterback hits.
Main Photo: Sam Navarro – USA Today Sports
