Report: Some evaluators see Christian Wilkins as top 10 defensive tackle in NFL

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Christian Wilkins had a forgettable performance in Sunday’s game against quarterback Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. It was a tough day overall for the Dolphins, who lost 48-20.

However, one game doesn’t represent Wilkins’ overall track record, and a recent report indicates that some evaluators see him as one of the 10 best tackles in the NFL.

“Another star defensive tackle in this class is Christian Wilkins, who is a top-10 tackle in the eyes of some evaluators,” ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler wrote. “He’ll have a robust market if the Dolphins don’t franchise-tag him.”

Wilkins was selected with the No. 13 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft after a four-season stint playing college football at Clemson University. He racked up at least 18 solo tackles and two sacks in each of his four seasons as a member of the Tigers.

Arguably Wilkins’ best season of college football came during his senior campaign, the 2018 season. He totaled 25 solo tackles, 5.5 sacks and recovered two fumbles in 15 games played with the Tigers as a senior.

Wilkins’ contributions translated into an immense amount of collective success for the 2018 iteration of the Tigers. They finished the season with a fantastic 15-0 record and defeated the University of Alabama in the national title game by a final score of 44-16.

The 27-year-old is in his fifth season in the NFL, all as a member of the Dolphins franchise. He accumulated 59 solo tackles, 39 assists on tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and 3.5 sacks across 17 games played with the Dolphins during the 2022 regular season (all starts). In addition, Wilkins had six passes defended a season ago.

Four games into the 2023 regular season, Wilkins has been a solid starter, but he isn’t on pace to replicate his production from the 2022 regular season. He has one sack, eight solo tackles, seven assists on tackles and four quarterback hits to his name with just under a quarter of the regular season in the books.

But all things considered, it makes sense that some evaluators reportedly believe that Wilkins is a top 10 player at his position in the NFL. Moreover, since he is just 27 years old, Wilkins may still have his best football ahead of him.