Clemson star Christian Wilkins looks to wreak havoc vs. Virginia Tech
By Conor Dorney
Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins looks to put on a show in front of scouts this week in the Tigers’ road showdown with No. 12 Virginia Tech.
Fresh off a national title and the loss of star quarterback Deshaun Watson to the NFL, one may think the Clemson Tigers would be due for a bit of regression in 2017. When you recruit and coach as well as Dabo Swinney, however, it just means that you’re ready to highlight the next wave of NFL prospects at your program. The Tigers have made a habit of putting great pass rushers in the NFL and this year appears to be no different, led up front by star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.
Wilkins entered the Clemson program as a highly-touted, five-star defensive tackle and immediately made his presence felt on a deep Tigers defensive line. He registered 33 tackles and two sacks in 2015, which then launched him into a stellar sophomore season in 2016.
Last season, Wilkins played the majority of his snaps at defensive end, something that Clemson was forced to do because of other injuries. Despite the position change, Wilkins continued to wreak havoc in opposing backfields, racking up 13.0 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and nine pass deflections. He remained an integral part of the Tigers’ defensive line that helped the team secure a national championship last January against Alabama.
Wilkins has moved back inside to defensive tackle for 2017, which will surely be his future NFL position, and is already well on his way to eclipsing his career bests with 18 tackles and three sacks through Clemson’s first four games. What makes Wilkins such a special prospect and potential top-10 NFL draft pick? Let’s take a look at the film to find out.
Explosive, quick-twitch athlete
At 6’4″, 310 lbs., Wilkins has the size to play both inside and on the edge, however, it’s his short-area quickness and agility that makes him a tantalizing defensive tackle prospect. Here’s a great example of that in this season’s contest against Auburn:
Wilkins uses his explosiveness at the snap and violent hands to blow past the guard for a timely red zone sack. Interior pass rushers with this kind of ability are one of the most valuable commodities at the NFL level and play like that are what separates Wilkins from most of his collegiate counterparts.
Instincts
Even when Wilkins isn’t able to get to the quarterback as a pass rusher, he still is able to disrupt an opponent’s passing game.
As mentioned before, Wilkins’ versatility with playing the defensive end position also helps his value as a prospect. Even though he is mainly playing inside this season, the Clemson staff is confident in moving him to the edge to get similar results.
In the above play, Wilkins takes on a blocker but still keeps his eyes in the backfield before firing to make the tackle. Most ends would have crashed much harder down the line, in turn failing to set the edge and opening a big cutback lane for the running back. But Wilkins’ instincts and balance, both in the run game and as a pass rusher, are hard to match and they’re big reasons why we’ll likely hear his name called in the top 10 picks next April and possibly the first interior defensive lineman selected.
Double teams and pad level
There aren’t a whole lot of flaws in Wilkins’ game, but he will have to get better at being able to work out of double teams, something he’s seen a whole lot at Clemson already this year. Wilkins does a good job of holding his ground but fails to find ways to escape the double teams once an opposing offensive lineman locks on. He doesn’t appear to have the arm length of some of the elite defensive interior prospects in the past, but that is something that will have to be discovered at the Combine in February. One way or another, I’d expect Wilkins to be a Combine star in most of the agility/speed drills.
Wilkins can also tend to play too high at times and will need to improve his hand usage and develop a more diverse arsenal of pass rushing moves to help win off the snap. Thankfully, at a program known for developing defensive talent, there’s no doubt in my mind that Wilkins can improve in these areas before the end of the season.
Hostile road showdown with Virginia Tech
The Tigers will face another tough test on their quest for another national title, this time against No. 12 Virginia Tech in Blacksburg. The Hokies currently boast the 14th-best offense in the country this season, averaging 507.3 yards per game.
Wilkins will face a tough matchup against an experienced Virginia Tech offensive line, led by LT Yosuah Nijman and LG Wyatt Teller, who could both see themselves called come draft day.
Christian Wilkins is already off to an outstanding start in 2017 for Clemson and another big day against a top-15 program on the road this weekend will only help to solidify his NFL chances in the eyes of scouts.