Top Free Agent Fits For Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins

Dolphins DT Christian Wilkins will be a highly sought-after free agent acquisition this offseason. Despite flying under the radar a bit compared to some of the big names at the defensive tackle position, Wilkins has been one of the best in the country over the last few seasons.

Wilkins’ best attributes are his play speed and penetrating ability. He’s one of the premiere pass rushers on the interior in the NFL. He also holds up well against double-teams and can be a force in the run game.

Still only 28 years old and coming off a dominating season in Miami, Wilkins will be a prized target for several teams needing an anchor in the middle of their defensive line. 

Wilkins, 28, is a former first-round pick of the Dolphins back in 2019 out of Clemson. He signed a four-year, $15,439,100 contract with Miami that included a $9,248,436 signing bonus and played out the deal.

He made a salary of $10,753,000 in 2023 under his fifth-year option. 

In 2023, Wilkins appeared in all 17 games and recorded 65 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, nine sacks, one forced fumble, two recoveries and two pass deflections.

We have him included in our Top 100 2024 NFL Free Agents list.  

Texans

Both QB C.J. Stroud and ED Will Anderson Jr. emerged as stars last season after the Texans drafted them both in the top five. They led Houston to a division championship and a playoff win, and now Houston has their sights set on repeating in the AFC South. To accomplish this, they’ll need to add contributors across a roster that overachieved to an extent last season. Reinforcements across the offensive line, another receiver to complement WRs Tank Dell and Nico Collins and some depth in the secondary could all be in order — but perhaps none more important than a stud interior defender.

Texans HC DeMeco Ryans’ defense thrives on interior pass rush. They were able to generate some last year from mid-level players such as Sheldon Rankins and Maliek Collins, but they could use a star at defensive tackle like Wilkins. Ryans’ defense outperformed expectations last season, but it still needs an infusion of talent across the board. Wilkins would thrive in Ryans’ penetrating, uphill scheme and the Texans have the cap space to make it work.

Many analysts — myself included – have projected the Texans selecting a defensive tackle with their first-round pick in mock drafts. Illinois’ Johnny Newton and Texas’ Byron Murphy II would both be excellent picks and good fits for the Texans. But signing Wilkins would free up that pick to be used elsewhere on the roster. And Wilkins himself is an elite interior presence. As good as Newton and Murphy II are as prospects, there’s no guarantee they’ll become as good as Wilkins already is, or be available late in the first where Houston picks.

The Texans have more cap space heading into the offseason than most other teams, they can afford to outbid their competitors for Wilkins’ services if they need to, and he’d immediately upgrade the Texans’ defensive line into a terrifying force.

Vikings

The Vikings are in an awkward position this offseason. They have a star receiver in Justin Jefferson, excellent complementary weapons in Jordan Addison and T.J. Hockenson, and a quietly great offensive line. They also currently have no starting quarterback on the roster. Longtime starter Kirk Cousins is a free agent, and while Minnesota has made it clear they want him back, they may not be willing to go as far contract-wise as they have in the past. They’ll also have fierce competition on the open market, and rumors are swirling that Atlanta may be Cousins’ preferred destination.

Their defense needs a major overhaul as well. The Vikings have had one of the worst defenses in the NFL the last few seasons, and despite efforts to supplement it, the depth chart looks thinner than ever right now. Star OLB Danielle Hunter is a pending free agent and experts aren’t convinced they’ll be able to retain him. Multiple premium draft picks have been spent on a still-struggling secondary in recent years to no avail. It’s clear that the defense needs attention this offseason.

Wilkins would be a great fit in Minnesota, especially if they don’t resign Cousins. In that scenario, they would likely turn towards the draft to acquire their next starting quarterback, and that may involve investing a significant number of draft picks to trade up for their guy. Wilkins could be a marquee free agent signing, fortifying their defensive interior with the money freed up by not paying Cousins. Over The Cap currently has the Vikings with north of $30 million in available space. 

It’s also worth pointing out Vikings DC Brian Flores was Wilkins’ head coach for the first three years of his career. Connections like that tend to matter a lot, especially in free agency when teams are trying to project if a veteran will have success in a different environment. Flores already knows exactly how Wilkins will fit, and he knows the person as well. He also thought highly enough of him to sign off on using a first-round pick, so presumably he’d be on board with a major contract. 

Raiders

Much like the Vikings, the Raiders have a question mark at quarterback to solve this offseason. Unlike the Vikings, there are no clear answers they can turn to. 2023 fourth-round QB Aidan O’Connell was decent in ten starts last season, though the Raiders have hinted they’d at least like to bring in some competition for O’Connell this year. How aggressively they pursue an upgrade under center remains to be seen.

Other than quarterback, Las Vegas’s biggest needs are in the secondary and at defensive tackle. Picking at No. 13 in April’s draft, they’ll have plenty of desirable choices at both positions — but that’s assuming they don’t use that pick on a quarterback. Addressing at least one of those needs in free agency is imperative to set the Raiders up for success in April.

Wilkins could be an interior anchor for the Raiders, providing star-level talent at a position they haven’t had that caliber of player for years. Maxx Crosby is a yearly defensive player of the year candidate, but the rest of the line has had issues producing. Wilkins would solve all those problems and then some.