4 teams that need to go all-out for Christian Wilkins with Chris Jones off market
The Kansas City Chiefs have made Chris Jones the highest-paid defensive tackle in NFL history. Here are four teams that should give free-agent defensive tackle Christian Wilkins a lucrative contract.
By Scott Rogust
When it comes to how valued some positions are in the NFL, defensive tackle has gotten pretty rich. Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams set the standard in terms of earning lucrative contracts. Now, young up-and-coming stars like Quinnen Williams, Dexter Lawrence, and Jeffery Simmons have all received contracts with total values of over $90 million.
On Saturday, the bar was set once again for defensive tackles. The Kansas City Chiefs and Chris Jones agreed to terms on a five-year contract, which includes $95 million fully guaranteed. On an annual basis, Jones will earn approximately $32 million, officially making him the richest defensive tackle in NFL history.
With Jones setting the market, that means fellow top-tier defensive tackles will have the chance to cash-in in the very near future. Look no further than Christian Wilkins, who is set to hit unrestricted free agency after not receiving a tag from the Miami Dolphins. It's odd that a contender like the Dolphins would allow Wilkins to walk in free agency, but they are still over the salary cap threshold as of this writing.
Wilkins is coming off a 2023 season in which he recorded 40 tackles, 34 defensive stops, 34 quarterback hurries, 17 quarterback hits, 10 sacks, and one forced fumble in 18 games, including the Wild Card Round matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs.
Here are four teams that need to go all-out to sign Wilkins in free agency.
4. Houston Texans
What a turn-around for the Houston Texans. After holding the second-worst record in the NFL in 2022, the Texans won the AFC South with a 10-7 record in their first year with DeMeco Ryans as head coach and C.J. Stroud as quarterback. The Texans even picked up a playoff win, beating the Cleveland Browns 45-14 in the Wild Card Round.
The Texans are in a position in which they have a young quarterback who was in serious consideration for the NFL MVP in just his first season. Now is the time for the Texans to bolster their roster to help make it to the Super Bowl for the first time in their franchise's history.
As of this writing, the Texans have $62.9 million in cap space. That gives them plenty of room to sign some difference-makers on both sides of the line of scrimmage. It just so happens that the Texans have a need for a defensive tackle, as Sheldon Rankins is set to become an unrestricted free agent.
Wilkins is an immediate upgrade for the Texans. Just imagine Wilkins rushing at the quarterback in the interior of the line of scrimmage, with Will Anderson Jr. attacking off the edge. This would be a great move for Houston.