Rated as the fifth defensive interior and 25th prospect on PFF's draft board, Clemson’s Christian Wilkins is a stout run defender whose versatility allows him to be successful wherever he is placed on the line. Wilkins was one of two players to rank in the top-five in both total pressures and defensive stops in 2018, showing he’s capable of being dominant regardless of the play call.
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Wilkins was a premier pass-rusher in 2018, ranking third in pass-rush win rate and second in pressure rate in the class. Although his pass-rush grade may have been inflated with the poor level of competition, he is still undeniably one of the top interior defensive linemen in this draft.
Wilkins was a brick wall against the run, recording a 93.6 run-defense grade. Among the top interior defensive linemen in the class, no one recorded a lower average depth of tackle against the run than Wilkins at 0.1 yards.
Wilkins wasn’t always the dominant, all-around player we saw in 2018. He progressed throughout his four-year career at Clemson, especially as a pass-rusher. He has always been a better run defender than pass-rusher, but his jump in pass-rush grade from 67.8 in 2017 to 91.0 in 2018 makes him a 1st round talent in this draft.
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