Film Room: Analyzing Elijah Wilkinson's first start at RT vs. Khalil Mack

After losing prized right tackle Ja'Waun James, Elijah Wilkinson was thrown to the wolves by the Denver Broncos. Well, more accurately, thrown to the [Chicago] Bears. With Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd to contend with, it was going to be a rough game for the young right tackle and a true test of what the team may have in him.

It wasn’t all good from Wilkinson, which was expected. He looked really good as a run blocker, but struggled in pass protection where he gave up 10 total pressures on Joe Flacco.

Breaking down the game, three plays really stood out that highlight the good and bad that Denver got from Wilkinson in Week 2.

Play 1

On this run play, Wilkinson is tasked with taking on Akiem Hicks, one of the best interior defensive linemen in the NFL. Wilkinson's job is to seal the hole with Noah Fant coming across the backside to take out Khalil Mack and Jeff Heuerman climbing to the linebacker. The goal is to create a huge lane for Freeman to jump-cut left to right and hit.

Wilkinson does a wonderful job controlling Hicks with some help from Leary. He keeps the hole from closing from the interior with Hicks while the two tight ends do just enough to allow Freeman to hit the hole. By getting under his pads and standing Hicks up, Wilkinson easily won the rep, and the help he got from Leary was to simply keep Hicks from exploding through the B-gap and not the C-gap.

In fact, Leary stuck on Hicks for too long and was supposed to get off and take out Danny Trevathan who ends up making the stop. Wilkinson was excellent on this rep with a very tough matchup for him.

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Play 2

Denver is in a 3rd-&-long, so the pass rushers are coming. This play turns out great for the Broncos, but Wilkinson played it really poorly.

Mack vs. Wilkinson and Wilkinson just doesn’t kick out fast enough. He sets his anchor to protect the inside and Mack sees that. Mack attacks the outside corner, which causes Wilkinson to overcorrect. Being the pass rusher he is, Mack sees that, then counters inside and hits Flacco during his follow-through.

Wilkinson has to get deep in his kick slide, and when he doesn’t, he can’t overcorrect. All things considered, along with the breakdown on the left side, made it so Wilkinson wasn’t the worst on the play, but it highlights the areas he still needs to really work on.

Play 3

Wilkinson is pulling out wide to seal the edge for Phillip Lindsay. He stays tight to the line, and moves really quick laterally. His job is to take Mack, who was originally engaged by DaeSean Hamilton (who played a good game vs. the Bears, mind you) and allow Hamilton to take the corner.

Wilkinson guides Mack wide, but it is into the original path of the run. It opens a path inside, which Lindsay makes a small cut to hit the whole and gain nine yards. Because of the change of direction, Hamilton was unable to get onto the corner to allow Lindsay to the edge.

That comes back on Wilkinson. He guides Mack, but it is right into the pathway. Denver wanted to get Lindsay outside and take the corner, but because of the block, the ball-carrier has to go back inside. It is still a good nine-yard run, but if Wilkinson can keep the outside lane open, Hamilton had the angle on the block which leaves Lindsay with a potential one-on-one against a safety.

Lindsay vs. Ha Ha Clinton-Dix in the open field? I will take Lindsay being able to shake by him and break this run for a huge gain, if not a touchdown.

Follow Erick on Twitter @ErickTrickel and @MileHighHuddle.