The New York Giants should try to sign Christian Wilkins after he was released to reunite the former Clemson defensive tackles. While he may not be healthy right now, coming off a tumultuous season where he just played only five games in Vegas, the former free agent signing could be worth a one-year deal that a new team could afford.
Wilkins signed a 4-year, $110 million contract last March with the Raiders, but will have his guaranteed money of $35.2 million voided after filing a grievance with the NFLPA. Despite recent clips of him working out and rehabbing, he suffered a season-ending Jones fracture last October, and a legal battle awaits, with $8 million guaranteed voided this past season and $27.25 million guaranteed next season also voided.
Giants Should Take a Swing and Sign Wilkins
The former first-rounder at defensive tackle/ end had an impactful five seasons with the Miami Dolphins and was picked ahead of his Clemson teammate, Dexter Lawrence, in the same draft back in 2019. The 29-year-old Wilkins has 22.5 career sacks with his last two teams, but makes a living at disrupting the pass, along with stopping the run on the outside in a 3-4 scheme.
Although his tenure in Vegas was short, Raiders Blitz Beat Writer Daniel Loya had this to say about him.
Christian Wilkins earned an 80.2 PFF run defense grade in 2024. This ranked 3rd among all interior defensive linemen in the NFL.
All-Pro Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby spoke highly of the veteran defensive tackle this past offseason, as Wilkins had two sacks in five games.
“Christian’s got great energy. He’s a great player. When you talk about constantly improving and having competition, those are the type of guys you want around,”
Crosby explained his dynamic with Wilkins and compared it to Yannick Ngakoue‘s work ethic (now with the New England Patriots) when he was in Vegas in 2021, as they started off strong together (beginning from OTAs) and complemented each other’s skillsets well.
He (Wilkins) works his ass off. It’s the guy that works. I feel like I haven’t had a guy like that since Yannick [Ngakoue]. I feel like Yannick was constantly trying to compete with me and go at it. We were competing at everything, and Christian kind of reminds me of him in that way. He’s a worker, so I love having guys that are like minded around. So, it’s been a hell of a start so far. We got a lot of work to do. We’re just feeding off each other’s energy; we love football, and that’s really all that matters.”
Best Nose Tackle in the NFL Got More Incentives
The 27-year-old nose tackle for the Giants, Dexter Lawrence, recently got more incentives ($3 million) in his contract as New York boasts a top-five defensive line. His game is stopping the run on the inside and taking on double teams, as he has 30 career sacks in his six-year tenure with the team.
For the upcoming season, Lawrence is set to make around $20 million after the incentives, as he signed a four-year, $90 million ($60 million guaranteed) extension back in 2023. His contract is still a bargain as the eighth-highest-paid defensive tackle while being the best player on the team when healthy. He suffered a dislocated elbow last November but was on a strong pace with almost double-digit sacks (career high at 9) despite the injury.
Despite the attention he gets, “Sexy Dexy” offers even more pass-rush upside as the perfect blend of strength and pass-rush moves for a nose, making him the best in the NFL along the lines of Vita Vea, Chris Jones, and Quinnen Williams.
Lawrence and Wilkins would complement each other well, as their current 3-4 defensive ends are third-round rookie Darius Alexander and veterans Rakeem Nunez-Roches or Roy Robertson-Harris. Alexander and Wilkins at defensive end would give them no real weakness on paper across their front-seven and would give them a formidable group in the middle.
The Giants potentially getting both on the same defensive line, along with rookie first-rounder Abdul Carter, who is making waves in training camp, and Brian Burns/ Kayvon Thibodeaux would give them a top front-seven unit in the NFL.
