Philadelphia Eagles Draft: 4 Names to Watch in First Round

Christian Wilkins, DL, Clemson

Where do you even start with Christian Wilkins? Experience? Check, he played in 55 games over his four years at Clemson, including two national championships. Production? You better believe it. Wilkins amassed 192 total tackles, 40.5 tackles for loss, 16 sacks, 15 passes defended, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles. Versatility? Check again, Wilkins was moved all around the Clemons defensive front. He played outside, inside, stand up rusher, and heck, he even played running back on a few plays and scored two touchdowns. Effort? This may be Wilkins best quality, and it’s something that you cannot coach.

If you watched Clemson play, you saw number 42 all over the field including special teams. In this day and age, it is almost unheard of for star players to be on special teams, but Wilkins was out there and gave 100-percent effort every time.

So how would he fit in with the Eagles? The short answer would be perfectly. The longer answer is that he would already bolster a strong defensive front and would allow the team to have a part in a steady rotation, similar to the Super Bowl run. Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson are entrenched as starters, but the depth after them is a bit suspect. Wilkins would instantly become the number three defensive tackle and would eventually step in to be the starter opposite of Cox. Add in his versatility, and the combinations are endless for the defensive front four.