The New England Patriots haven’t drafted a Clemson player since 1991, but former Patriots head coach Bill Belichick offered a supreme compliment to a Clemson Tiger currently on the Raiders’ roster.
Asked this week which Clemson prospect was his favorite he ever scouted, Belichick said it was the Raiders’ $110 million man.
“It probably would be [Christian] Wilkins,” Belichick said.
“Character. Playing ability. All-around player. He could rush. He could run. Had a heck of a college career and then a heck of an NFL career. We had a hard time blocking him at Miami twice a year, so I didn’t like that.”
Wilkins was a first-round pick in 2019 (no. 13 overall), and spent the first five years of his career with the Miami Dolphins. 14 months ago, he signed a four-year, $110 million deal with the Raiders and his first season in Las Vegas came to a disappointing early end with a foot injury.
He was placed on injured reserve after undergoing surgery for a Jones fracture he suffered in week 5 against the Denver Broncos.
Wilkins reportedly suffered a setback with his foot in the offseason and according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s Vinny Bonsignore, there is still a lot of unknown in terms of Wilkins’ outlook for the 2025 season.
“I talked to somebody yesterday who said [Wilkins] was completely on track as of January, and was out of the walking boot, and everything was checking out, and everything looked good, and he was on target to be ready to go… but obviously, there was a setback,” Bonsignore said last week on Raider Nation Radio’s JT The Brick Show.
According to Sports Illustrated insider Hondo Carpenter, Wilkins is still expected to be at full strength when the season begins.
“Talking to people within the organization, there isn’t any fear or concern or anything,” Carpenter said on the Las Vegas Raiders Insider podcast. “It is not uncommon. I’ve shared with you this before. “When people have a surgery, they got to go and take out some scar tissue or whatever. Nobody has any concerns that he’s not going to be there when the season starts. I was told at this point, it’s a lot about nothing.”
“Nobody’s even confirmed he needs a second surgery. But if they did, there’s literally no concern,” Hondo continued. “I am telling you, nobody I’m talking to at this point is remotely worried.”
x: @raidersbeat
photo credit: Raiders.com
Get healthy big man the team needs you.