With the 13th pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins selected defensive tackle Christian Wilkins from Clemson.
The Miami Dolphins have nowhere to go but up defensively. In 2018, Miami finished 31st in total rushing defense, 28th in opposing yards per carry, 30th in sacks, 30th in opposing yards per pass attempt, and 27th in scoring defense. Their selection of Christian Wilkins will go a long way towards bringing them back to respectability.
Fantasy Impact of Christian Wilkins
Wilkins is a highly efficient lineman who has good lateral quickness and excellent agility. He had 40.5 tackles for loss during his career and will help bolster Miami’s porous run defense. Wilkins is not an elite pass rusher, but he has the ability to get the quarterback. He can also be a disruptive force by batting passes at the line of scrimmage. Perhaps more importantly, Wilkins has outstanding leadership qualities. He is a leader on and off the field and will be an important part of Miami’s rebuilding process under new head coach Brian Flores.
Despite Miami’s deficiencies in many key statistics, they were a formidable fantasy defense last year. They ranked 13th in total fantasy points on the strength of 21 interceptions. That number was good for second in the entire NFL. A regression seems likely given the problems they had defending both the run and the pass. For all of the boxes that Wilkins checks off in terms of both his on-field play and off-field character, there is little fantasy impact here. The Dolphins are expected to be a bottom-10 fantasy defense this season, and having Wilkins in the fold will do little to change that.
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