Two years ago, the Cleveland Browns boasted the top-ranked defense in the NFL, but last season, the unit demonstrated serious slippage at all levels.
The Browns definitely have some areas that could use some patching, specifically when it comes to linebacker and the safety position. Cornerback depth is an area of weakness, too.
You wouldn’t expect anyone to label defensive tackle as a major need for the Browns. Not selecting Mason Graham with the No. 5 overall pick of the NFL Draft and with former second-round selection Mike Hall Jr. returning for his sophomore campaign. However, a very intriguing option just became available for Cleveland in that department: Christian Wilkins.
The Las Vegas Raiders released Wilkins last week as a result of a disagreement on how he was handling his recovery from his foot injury, voiding the rest of his contract. The 29-year-old is now up for grabs, and Barry Shuck of Dawgs By Nature wonders if the Browns should take a look.
“If Wilkins had remained with the Raiders, his salary this season would have been $27.5 million. Certainly, [Andrew] Berry would not pay anywhere close to this sum for a defensive tackle, and analytics back this up, but he can reach out and get the topic rolling,” Shuck wrote.
Here’s the thing about Cleveland: it definitely has a lot of intriguing pieces at the defensive tackle position, but it does not have a whole lot of proven talent there.
Wilkins racked up 65 tackles and nine sacks as recently as 2023 with the Miami Dolphins and has totaled 22.5 sacks since entering the NFL in 2019, so he has displayed he can definitely be a dominant presence when healthy.
If the Browns are able to land Wilkins on a one-year pact, it may be worth a flier. That being said, it seems hard to imagine the Clemson product settling for a cheap contract with the Browns.
It should also be noted that Wilkins doesn’t really have a definitive timetable in his return from foot surgery.
