Tag: Christian Wilkins

Giants considered signing Christian Wilkins before Brian Burns trade

The New York Giants appeared poised to make a run at DT Christian Wilkins before acquiring LB Brian Burns in a trade.

Before the New York Giants traded for Carolina Panthers edge rusher this past March, they appeared to be prepared to ink Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.

Wilkins, a college teammate of Dexter Lawrence’s at Clemson, was headed for free agency and the Giants had discussed signing him believing that Burns would be too costly.

Giants general manager Joe Schoen was turned off of Wilkins by director of pro scouting Chris Rossetti, who after stating Wilkins and Lawrence’s close relationship, believed he wasn’t the right fit.

“I don’t think he’s a difference-making pass rusher on third down, which is what we need opposite Dex. But a really good football player who will do well for himself,” Rossetti said in episode 1.

Here’s some further context from the folks at Pro Football Rumors:

Schoen and assistant GM Brandon Brown discussed Wilkins at the Combine, with the former loosely applying a $22MM-per-year price tag on the five-year Dolphins defender. Brown gave a positive review of Wilkins to Schoen, though the Giants joined the Dolphins in having questions about the 2019 first-rounder’s pass-rushing impact.

Indicating a third-down presence alongside Lawrence was an offseason goal, Rossetti provided a sign the Giants would pass on a true Wilkins pursuit. Though, it is notable Schoen and Brown were still discussing the five-year starter at the Combine. Schoen’s early prediction on Wilkins’ AAV turned out to undersell where his market went, with the Raiders needing to give the top-flight run defender/emerging pass rusher a $27.5MM-per-year accord. Wilkins committed to the Raiders hours before the Giants traded for Burns.

Wilkins did get a bundle from the Raiders ($110 million over four years with $84.5 million guaranteed), which was just shy of what the Giants extended Burns for ($141 million over five years with $87.5 million guaranteed).

Burns appears to be a better fit for the Giants — an outside edge threat with Pro Bowl credentials.

Schoen had originally thought Burns would cost him two second-round picks — or even more — in a trade, but leveraging his relationship with Panthers general manager  Dan Morgan, he was able to get Burns for just one second-rounder, a 2025 fifth-round pick and a swap of fifth-rounders.

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Panthers’ Derrick Brown ranked as 7th-best DT by NFL execs, coaches, scouts

Are there six defensive tackles better than Carolina’s Derrick Brown?

Derrick Brown now has another number to add alongside his name.

ESPN senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler polled league executives, coaches and scouts in compiling a list of the game’s top 10 defensive tackles. Brown, who found a spot on the honorable mention section last summer, reps the Carolina Panthers at No. 7.

Fowler writes:

Brown was a menace in the middle for the Panthers, leading the league with a 47% run stop win rate.

While the sack production isn’t there — Brown has eight sacks in four years — the disruption very much is. Carolina decided to build the defense around him instead of pass-rusher Brian Burns, who was traded to the Giants

“You feel him more than you see the sack numbers,” a veteran NFL scout said of Brown. “When you play him and watch him, he’s really good. Wouldn’t surprise me if he has more sacks in the future. Carolina is always losing in games, so teams don’t throw the ball as much on them late.”

Brown set a single-season NFL record for defensive linemen in 2023, amassing 103 tackles. His historic campaign led to his first Pro Bowl selection, as he replaced the now-retired and future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald on the NFC squad.

That season also led to a four-year, $96 million extension for Brown—tying him with New York’s Quinnen Williams as the fourth-highest paid player at the position. Williams was amongst the six players who finished higher than Brown, who polled as high as No. 2 and as low as No. 10, on Fowler’s list.

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Raiders DT Christian Wilkins ranked as the No. 6 DT by NFL execs and coaches

Raiders DT Christian Wilkins ranked as the No. 6 DT by NFL execs and coaches

The Raiders made a big splash in free agency this offseason, signing Christian Wilkins to a huge deal. The hope is that pairing him with Maxx Crosby will give the Raiders one of the league’s best pass rushes. But where does Wilkins rank among the top defensive tackles in the league?

In a recent article by Jeremey Fowler of ESPN, he interviewed dozens of coaches, executives, and coaches and asked them to rank the top 10 defensive tackles in the league heading into the 2024 season. The consensus ranking had Wilkins at No. 6, just ahead of Derrick Brown and DeForest Buckner.

Here is what Fowler and an AFC executive had to say about the new pass rusher for the Raiders heading into the year:

The one thing holding back Wilkins had been his sack production. He didn’t have it through his first four years, and the Dolphins didn’t pay him last offseason.

So, Wilkins flipped the script with nine sacks in 2023, leading to a massive four-year, $110 million free agency deal with Las Vegas.

“Gives you a little bit of everything — just a solid all-around player,” an AFC executive said. “Might be a notch below the top, top guys as far as high-end traits, but he really turned a corner over the last year-and-a-half as a rusher.”

Wilkins is widely considered one of the league’s best do-it-all defensive tackles. He stops the run as well as he rushes the passer, and is an every-down player. That is the type of player the Raiders have been missing for the last several seasons.

If Wilkins can continue to be as productive as he was in Miami, the Raiders have a chance to be really good on defense. And that is what they are banking on this season.

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Giants scout on ‘Hard Knocks’ says Christian Wilkins is not a force on 3rd down. Evidence says otherwise.

Christian Wilkins not a difference-making pass rusher on third down? That’s what a Giants scout said. Evidence says otherwise.

No team makes all the right moves when it comes to player personnel. Because talent evaluation is an inexact science. But sometimes you either have to be blind or ignorant to not see what is right in front of you.

This year’s offseason edition of “Hard Knocks” features the New York Giants. The first episode aired Tuesday night and jumped right into free agency. One of the top priorities for the Giants front office was adding some pass rush to go alongside nose tackle Dexter Lawrence.

This led them to top free agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who is a friend of Lawrence’s. Which led to Giants Director of Pro Scouting Chris Rossetti to give his opinion on the potential move. He didn’t seem to be a fan of it.

“I don’t think he’s a difference-making pass rusher on third down we need opposite Dex,” said Rossetti. “But a really good football player who will do well for himself.”

Wilkins did do well for himself, signing a five-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders.

But it was his first statement that had some ears perking up. Not a difference-maker on third down?

This statement had Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar look into it, and what he found seemed to contradict that assessment.

Being tied with Chris Jones for the second-most pressures on third down would suggest Wilkins is very much a difference-making pass rusher on third down.

The Raiders could see that he was the missing piece to their defensive line. And they’re thankful the Giants didn’t recognize that.

Giants turned down Dexter Lawrence/Christian Wilkins tandem because one scout got it wrong

The Giants passed on dominant defensive tackle Christian Wilkins because one scout in the building got it really wrong.

NFL general managers have to trust the people in the building who work for them to evaluate players. They have to know that all their scouts and evaluators have done their homework the right way, and that all the information disseminated is based on real work, as opposed to speculation.

In HBO’s premiere episode of “Hard Knocks: Offseason with the New York Giants,” there was a scene in which Giants general manager Joe Schoen and his staff were discussing pass rushers they could add to their team via trade or free agency. That process ended with the trade that brought former Carolina Panthers edge demon Brian Burns into the fold, but there was a highly interesting part of that discussion that had my ears perking up.

After talking about Kansas City’s Chris Jones as the NFL’s best defensive tackle outside of Big Blue’s own Dexter Lawrence (I would agree with that), the subject turned to ex-Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who wound up signing a four-year, $110 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders.

When Wilkins’ name came up, Chris Rossetti, the Giants’ Director of Pro Scouting, was less than overwhelmed by Wilkins’ attributes.

“This is Dexter’s best friend,” Rosetti said. “I don’t think he’s a difference-making pass-rusher on third down, which is what we need opposite Dex, but a really good football player who will do well for himself.”

“Dex texted me about him the other day,” Schoen responded. “[He] asked what we thought [about Wilkins].”

Wilkins and Lawrence played together on Clemson’s defensive line from 2016 through 2018, and both were first-round picks in 2019 — Wilkins 13th overall by the Dolphins, and Lawrence 17th overall by the Giants. So, that’s where the friendship and chemistry come from.

But apparently in the case of Wilkins, the answer was no. And if it was no because of the information Rosetti put forth, that’s a giant whoops. Last season, per Pro Football Focus, Wilkins had 66 total pressures. 30 of those pressures came on third down. Now, different analytical services have different charting methods, so the results can be slightly different, but among NFL defensive tackles last season, Wilkins was one of the best at creating third-down pressure. Sports Info Solutions agrees.

And it’s not as if there wasn’t tape in house of Wilkins wrecking the Giants’ offensive line. Wilkins had one sack and seven total pressures against New York in Week 5; it was one of Wilkins’ best games of the 2023 season.

So. We know that scouts and executives get things wrong. It’s part of the process. But in this case, how did the Giants come to this conclusion, leaving themselves on the outside looking in?

You’ve got to do the work.

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Raiders GM Telesco talks highly of Christian Wilkins after signing him in March

Wilkins is about to tear up the AFC West.

Christian Wilkins signed a massive deal in March, reaching an agreement for $110 million over four years. It seems General Manager Tom Telesco and the Las Vegas Raiders are ecstatic about their new defensive lineman.

In an interview discussing the Raiders’ new additions, Telesco spoke highly of the former Tiger. “We try and be very selective in who we sign,” said Telesco. “[but] to find that interior defensive lineman that can not only play the run but play the pass, and has the character and work ethic,” was exactly what they were looking for.

The 28-year-old DT wasn’t only lauded for just his physical attributes. Telesco was impressed with how fast Wilkins stepped into the Raiders’ leadership. But it shouldn’t be a surprise with Wilkins being a two-time captain at Miami.

“Christian, he’s a natural leader,” Telesco said. “Even though he’s a veteran, even though he’s played in the league, when you come to a new team, sometimes guys will take a step back and kind of see the lay of the land. He walked in here, and he just leads naturally right away, and that’s kind of rare to see…

“The day that we signed him… he was out here on the field getting his workout in… That’s what we want to see. They’re here to play football. Work ethic is a big part of it, especially when you sign a big contract. So, he’s fit right in with us.”

Wilkins joins Pro Bowler defensive end, Maxx Crosby, rounding out one of the most dangerous DL rooms in the league.

5 positions for Raiders that will have new starters in 2024

5 positions for Raiders that will have new starters in 2024

Every new season brings change. Some change is not yet known. While some we know already. For instance, there will be new starters at several positions for the Raiders this season. These are the positions we know will change hands.

Dexter Lawrence leads former Clemson stars in top 100 NFL player rankings

Dexter Lawrence was the highest-ranked defensive tackle in CBS Sports’ list.

Three former Clemson Tigers made CBS Sports’ annual rankings of the top 100 NFL players headed into the 2024 season.

Leading the way was New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence, ranked by veteran NFL analyst Pete Prisco as the No. 19 overall player in the league.

Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence, who will begin his fourth season with the club, ranked second highest among former Tiger athletes.

Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins, set to begin his first season with the Las Vegas Raiders after departing Miami in free agency, also made the list.

Dexter Lawrence had a monster season for the Giants in 2023, recording 53 tackles, 4.5 sacks and two pass deflections. He is the highest ranked defensive tackle on Prisco’s top 100 list.

“He is a massive man in the middle of the New York defense who makes it tough to run inside. But he is also a power pass rusher inside who can really push the pocket, which makes him far more than just a one-dimensional run stuffer,” Prisco wrote of Lawrence, who was ranked as the No. 34 best player by Prisco heading into 2023.

Next on Prisco’s list was Trevor Lawrence. The Jaguars’ franchise quarterback recently signed a massive contract extension for five years, reportedly at $275 million.

But Trevor Lawrence ranks far behind Dexter Lawrence on Prisco’s list after suffering through injuries a season ago. Lawrence missed his first NFL start due to a shoulder injury that sidelined him for the Jaguars’ Week 17 game against the Carolina Panthers last year.

Lawrence suffered one of the biggest drops in Prisco’s annual rankings, going from No. 23 this time last year to No. 62 this offseason. Prisco wrote that he expected great things from the Jaguars’ quarterback in a bounce-back 2024 season, however.

“His 2023 season was a disappointment for a lot of reasons, including injury. He threw 21 touchdown passes and 14 picks as he pressed at times. I think he bounces back — with a hefty new contract — and has an MVP-type of season that will vault him up this list,” Prisco said of Lawrence.

The last Clemson player to appear in Prisco’s top 100 shouldn’t come as a surprise. Wilkins had an impressive 2023 season with the Miami Dolphins that included 65 tackles (38 solo), 10 tackles for loss, nine sacks, two pass deflections and a forced fumble.

Wilkins parlayed that into a four-year, $110 million contract with the Raiders. He ranks No. 78 on Prisco’s list of top 100 players.

“He is a disruptive inside player who signed with the Raiders after five impressive seasons with the Dolphins. He has the ability to pressure inside, while also being good against the run,” Prisco wrote of Wilkins.

Other notable rankings on Prisco’s top 100 list include reigning Super Bowl champion quarterback Patrick Maholmes at No. 1. Buffalo’s Josh Allen was the second highest ranked quarterback at No. 6 overall.

At the defensive tackle position, Prisco ranked the New York Jets’ Quinnen Williams as the second best tackle behind Dexter Lawrence. Williams ranks 10 spots behind Lawrence at No. 29.

Three former Clemson players made Prisco’s list of honorable mentions outside the top 100. In no particular order, those players were wide receivers Tee Higgins (Cincinnati Bengals) and DeAndre Hopkins (Tennessee Titans), and Jaguars running back Travis Etienne.

Follow us @Clemson_Wire on X and on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news, notes and commentary.  

Adam Butler return highly underrated Raiders offseason move

Don’t sleep on the importance of the return of Adam Butler to the Raiders.

Few free agent additions this offseason were bigger than the Raiders landing Christian Wilkins. The big interior defensive lineman was considered the top free agent at his position and one of the top free agents at any position. With that news dominating the headlines, the other moves the Raiders made on the defensive line got little attention. But one in particular should be noted.

Adam Butler hitting free agency didn’t have teams falling over themselves to get him. But it was important to the Raiders. During minicamp this past week, I asked Raiders defensive line coach Rob Leonard what Butler’s return meant to the defensive line room.

“Everything,” Leonard replied. “Everything. In terms of creating a standard, him and 98 [Maxx Crosby]. This is one of the groups that makes this special is building a team. Not just a group of talent. So, their traits, their personalities all play off each other. They balance each other really well which creates infectious energy and is a lot of fun.”

There was a clear chemistry between Butler and Crosby last season. It really started to show up on the field in the final few games, but according to Crosby that chemistry began the moment Butler joined the team last offseason.

“I feel like we had that connection right away,” Crosby said of Butler. “It started in the offseason. He got here last April I believe and from that day on we’ve been locked in. From week one to 18 it’s improved and improved, but usually it takes a lot more time. And a guy like him, he’s a thinker. When you’re out on the field with him, he’s calling out whether we’re sliding and calling out protections. And when you have a guy like that on the field, he’s nothing but an asset. And he plays hard and he’s a very underrated rusher. He can win his one-on-ones as well. I love Adam. Me and Adam have had a great connection, he’s a Texas guy as well, he went to Duncanville, so our teams played each other in High School. He’s a little older than me, but I’ve known about him for a long time. So, when he got here it was awesome, it’s been special ever since.”

Butler may have flown under the radar for the Raiders last season, but he didn’t come out of nowhere. The former undrafted free agent out Vanderbilt appeared in 104 games over six NFL seasons, including playoffs. His first four seasons were with the Patriots where saw around 45% of the snaps and put up 17 sacks, 23 tackles for loss, and 26 QB hits.

Those are very good numbers for a rotational interior defensive lineman. So, it should be no surprise he was a key part of the Raiders defensive line rotation last season. And while it was Bilal Nichols who got the start each week, Butler would come in and outplayed the starter at every turn.

Stat Bilal Nichols Adam Butler
Starts 17 0
Snaps 615 527
Tackles 48 28
Sacks 1.5 5
QB hits 2 9
TFL 4 8

So, you can see why the Raiders were perfectly fine letting Nichols walk while making Butler a priority to return.

Along with Wilkins, John Jenkins, and second year tackle Byron Young in the mix, the Raiders have a very good looking interior rotation.