Christian Wilkins could be defensive catalyst for Panthers

The Panthers could use Christian Wilkins at No. 16.

Mock draft season is upon us and more and more projections are starting to come forth as the 2019 NFL Draft gets closer. 247Sports put out a mock draft on Tuesday, and they predicted the Panthers would take a stud with the 16th overall pick

For any of you college football fans, you probably have heard of the name Christian Wilkins. He has been a star ever since he signed with Clemson football and a national championship win in January just capped off a tremendous college career that made his stock rise considerably. The Massachusetts native was a key part of the Clemson defense for many years and 2018 was just the icing on the cake.

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He had a tremendous campaign, finishing the season with 51 tackles, six sacks, a fumble recovery, and two pass deflections. His best game came in the season opener against Furman. In that contest, he recorded seven tackles and a sack as Clemson rolled to a 48-7 victory. In the national championship game against Alabama, he totaled four tackles and half a sack, as the Tigers rolled to a 44-16 victory.

Wilkins would be a player that helps the Panthers defensive line immediately. He is a player that can move quickly once the ball is snapped and immediately fill gaps. He is particularly effective in the running game as he can use all of his 6-foot-4, 300-pound frame to disrupt a running game. As we have seen over the years, he can also get to the quarterback. His versatility and the different ways that he is effective and useful to a defense will definitely translate well to the National Football League.

How could he help the Carolina Panthers? Well for one, he could give them the run-stopping tackle that they have needed for a couple years now. The team brought in Dontari Poe last March hoping to fill that void, but it was clear by the end of the 2018 campaign that Poe was not the same player he was in 2017. Wilkins is a player that has less miles and more versatility, and the Panthers certainly need someone that pressure an offense quickly.

Especially when you take a look at the running back talent in the NFC South, a run-stopping tackle is almost a need. Alvin Kamara, Mark Ingram, Telvin Coleman, Devonta Freeman. Those are just some of the names that make up for the backfield in that division. If you do not have at least one player that can at least suffocate the run for multiple series, then you are at a significant disadvantage in the NFC South. Wilkins would at least be able to provide some relief for the rest of the Panthers defense as he has enough explosiveness to get into the backfield and a hurry.

Carolina would be wise to take Wilkins if he is there. He would be able to make an immediate impact on their defense and allow Carolina to have youth up front. They already have some prominent pieces on the defensive line. Wilkins would at the very least would be another impact player on the team.

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