The Las Vegas Raiders, who signed Christian Wilkins with a four-year, $110 million deal this past free agency period, seem to be buying into the NFL theory that winning along the trenches is usually the best way to succeed.
Wilkins was regarded as the best defensive player in free agency, and the Raiders saw an opportunity to place him alongside Maxx Crosby. This was Las Vegas’ first major signing under general manager Tom Telesco.
Perhaps the best pass-rushing duo in the league is in Las Vegas, with Crosby and Wilkins lining up on the defensive end. With Wilkins upsetting the interior, Crosby may have even more space to maneuver after putting up a career-best year in 2023.
Even though Wilkins and Crosby won’t be playing side by side for a few more months, Wilkins has already been pleased by his new teammate after seeing him up close, according to Sports Illustrated’s Ezekiel Trezevant:
The previous week, Wilkins stated, “I was going to say I definitely second that Maxx [Crosby] is the real deal, and I see why he’s done the things he’s done in this league.”
“It goes without saying that I’ve known Maxx since college.” But every day, witnessing it firsthand makes you think, ‘Damn, this man doesn’t stop.'” It’s encouraging to see that he is focused on the right things. That presents a daily mental battle for me since I always feel like I have to bring something because I know he will bring it, and vice versa.
Wilkins seems to be picking up on Crosby’s unwavering work ethic and unrelenting work ethic, which are well-known traits. After being selected, Crosby moved from being largely unknown to a consistent contender for NFL Defensive Player of the Year.
The Raiders should see a significant increase in defensive output with Crosby and Wilkins up front, which will enable them to maintain game competitiveness. After head coach Antonio Pierce took over, Las Vegas really improved on that side of the ball, and there’s not much reason to doubt that they can continue to build on that momentum.
Antonio Pierce of the Raiders says Christian Wilkins and Maxx Crosby should be a concern for teams.
There has been a lot of talk about the Raiders’ quarterback situation because Aidan O’Connell and Gardner Minshew will be facing off in training camp. However, Pierce struck back at any naysayers when he suggested that opponents shouldn’t be worried about their quarterbacks but Crosby and Wilkins instead.
