Pierce: Wilkins Will 'Be a Blessing for Raider Nation'

Las Vegas Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce is quite optimistic about the addition of defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Signing defensive tackle Christian Wilkins was the Las Vegas Raiders' best move of the offseason so far.

A veteran defensive tackle in the prime of his career, Wilkins has a take-no-prisoners mentality about him, a demeanor that fits perfectly with the Raiders culture.

The defensive tackle room was one that was high on Las Vegas' list of priorities, and it's safe to say it has satisfied that area of need.

"[Wilkins] makes life easier for us as coaches, I'll tell you that," said Raiders Coach Antonio Pierce when he spoke at the NFL Owners' Meetings on Monday. "When you get good players, it makes life easy. But what it does, along with the other gentlemen that we brought back -- John Jenkins and Adam Butler -- it made a lot of depth to that D-line room.

"We want to be strong there; that's going to be our strong point of our team. As you can see, I think from one to 10, I feel really good with those guys. But Christian, the energy, man, personality, the love for the game.

"And now, we got somebody on the front with Maxx Crosby. Full-blown effort for 60 minutes, and that's what we're looking for.

"And I think for us to get a player of his caliber, the way he's played over the last -- really, his entire career -- it's going to be a blessing for Raider Nation."

Wilkins spent his first five seasons with the Miami Dolphins, who drafted him in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He started every game for Miami over the last three seasons.

Wilkins recorded 355 combined tackles, 43 for losses, 20.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 19 passes defensed, and an interception in 81 games as a Dolphin.

You can watch Pierce's entire press conference from Monday here.

The NFL Draft will be held in Detroit, Mich., on April 25-27, 2024. The Las Vegas Raiders currently have the No. 13 overall pick.

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