The Las Vegas Raiders lost their Week 5 matchup against the Denver Broncos this Sunday, but losing the game was the least of their worries; thanks to a Jones Fracture suffered during Sunday’s contest, defensive lineman Christian Wilkins is set to hit the injured reserves list. Adam Butler is the next man up.
Wilkins underwent surgery and will be out indefinitely in the meantime.
The Raiders gave Wilkins a four-year, $110 million contract this summer to cause havoc up the middle. Through five weeks, the 28-year-old has done just that.
With a grade of 74.8 via Pro Football Focus, Wilkins was the 10th-highest graded defensive tackle to play at least 20 snaps this season. The Clemson alum is responsible for nine pressures and two sacks on the year, recording the third-most solo tackles league-wide at his position (14).
Wilkins has been equally as impressive against the run, earning the second-highest grade among all defensive tackles with a mark of 80.2. 12 of Wilkins’ 14 solo tackles have come on these downs.
Las Vegas will turn to veterans Adam Butler and John Jenkins for the upcoming weeks.
Adam Butler’s quiet contributions with the Las Vegas Raiders
While losing a player of Christian Wilkins’ caliber is never easy, the blow is softened when you have Adam Butler.
Through five weeks, Butler has done his best to keep up with Wilkins. And, for the most part, he’s done just that.
With 14 solo tackles on the year, Butler and Wilkins tie for third-most at their position across the NFL. The two defensive tackles are each responsible for nine pressures, with Butler having one sack while Wilkins has two.
The former Patriot has even performed well against the run. With a grade of 66.7 on such downs, Butler stands as the 25th-highest graded defensive tackle league-wide.
For Butler, this is the second season in a row where he’s had a major impact. Although he struggled against the run in 2023, finishing the season with a lowly grade of 39.4, Butler wreaked havoc as a pass-rusher.
With six sacks recorded throughout the season, Butler posted the third-most on the team. Not only was his sack total the most among all defensive tackles who played for the Raiders, but it was more than all other defensive tackles on the team combined.
Butler has big shoes to fill, but he’s quietly been a high-level contributor since arriving in Las Vegas. He should have no problem continuing his great play moving forward.
*Top Photo: AP Photo/ Ryan Sun
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