Last offseason, vibes were good among the Las Vegas Raiders, and part of that was because they made one major move. Adding to their defensive line, the Raiders brought in Christian Wilkins to help alongside Maxx Crosby. For good reason, there was a lot of excitement regarding the move coming into the season.
Unfortunately, that excitement was short-lived. Wilkins had some nice moments during the first four weeks of the season, but he went down with a foot injury in Week 5, which ended up sidelining him for the entire rest of the year. Let’s examine Wilkins’ accomplishments from 2024 and speculate about his potential contributions in 2025.
Las Vegas Raiders Player Review: Christian Wilkins
Christian Wilkins’ Best Moments In 2024
Statistically, Wilkins’ best game of the season came against the Denver Broncos. Interestingly, he sustained an injury during that game, which prevented him from playing for the rest of the season. Before that injury, though, he was in the midst of his best game as a Raider. Wilkins recorded one sack, five tackles, and two tackles for loss.
Wilkins had a couple of solid games before that, with a half of a sack in each of the two weeks prior. It seemed he was beginning to heat up until his injury. He did make some excellent plays in run defense as well, including this one.
Christian Wilkins taking away 2 gaps and making a tackle at the LOS against Joe Alt#RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/di3KiloiMR
— Matt Holder (@MHolder95) September 9, 2024
Wilkins’ 2024 Season And His Upcoming Future
Due to those injuries, Wilkins’ first year was unfortunately a disappointment. He did a decent job when on the field, though. Through the four and a half games he played, he had two sacks, 17 combined tackles, two tackles for a loss and six quarterback hits. He was a good tackler, only missing two tackles during that span.
Fortunately for Las Vegas, though, they’ll get to see much more of Wilkins in the future. He’s under contract through the 2027 season, so Raiders fans should get at least three more years in a Raiders uniform.
Having him locked in for the future is a big deal for this roster. The Raiders are going to see plenty of defenders hit the open market, including a few on the defensive line. Las Vegas will try to retain some of them, but it’s unrealistic to expect all to be back. With that in mind, knowing that Wilkins and Maxx Crosby are under contract for the foreseeable future is reassuring.
Wilkins will have had plenty of time to recover from his injury by the time next season starts. He should be in excellent shape, and the Raiders will need him to be. As far as all things are concerned for now, the Raiders have a bright future, with Wilkins and Crosby anchoring the defensive line.
*Top Photo: Getty Images
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