New Raiders DT Christian Wilkins Believes the Defense Could Be Special

Las Vegas Raiders general manager Tom Telesco made arguably one of the most significant moves of the offseason when he signed former Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Christian Wilkins.

Telesco’s bold move paired one of the best defensive linemen in the National Football League right in the middle of what is expected to be one of the best this season. As mini-camp practices have already started, Wilkins has had the first opportunity to play with his new teammates. So far, he likes what he sees.

"We have a chance to be a really good room, and I just like the makeup of our room,” Wilkins said. “We have a lot of guys who've had some success in this league, some guys who are starting to figure it out, and a lot of young guys who were just really young and really need to figure it out.”

Wilkins noted that upon his arrival, he’s enjoyed the fact that the Raiders have quality players with various experience levels. The veteran defensive lineman says this being the case allows him to learn as much as he can while also being able to teach the younger defensive linemen on the team.

Wilkins noted fellow defensive lineman John Jenkins is one of the veteran defensive linemen the team learns from the most.

“And I like that because it's good; we all kind of feed off each other, and it's a really cool dynamic,” Wilkins said. “Us learning from old, salty vet Jenk [John Jenkins], his knowledge, and the things he can pour unto us. And those young guys give us energy, you know what I mean? Because they kind of give us perspective or remind us of how we used to be, you know what I mean? So, I like the makeup of our room. We're all on the same page, and we're building a good culture in there, so it's been a lot of fun so far."

While it is still early and the team has yet to practice with pads on, Wilkins said the players can improve, mainly on their technique. The veteran defensive linemen emphasized the importance of staying technically sound, even though they are not currently playing against another team.

"You still can work a lot of your technique and polishing things up; just training your eyes, training your little techniques and stuff like that,” Wilkins said. “Because right now, without pads being on, sometimes if you're sloppy, if you're not dialed in or focusing on your technique, when pads come on, all that will be exposed.

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