Gardner Minshew declares which Raiders player he's been most impressed with

It's still early in OTAs for the Raiders but it's not taking long for new defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to make an impression. Gardner Minshew hasn't been with the team long and while the Raiders have plenty of exciting players, Wilkins is sticking out to him early on.

“Man, I’d say Christian Wilkins," Minshew said during his Tuesday press conference when asked which player has impressed him. "That dude is running so fast every single play wherever the ball is, you’ll see him soon, know what I’m saying, he [Wilkins] shows up. It’s really impressive to be around a guy like that, that non-stop works the way he does.”

What about Maxx?

If this question was posed to Raider Nation, more than likely Maxx Crosby would be the first player to come to mind. Players and coaches have been describing Crosby for years in precisely the same way that Minshew just described Wilkins, and for good reason. As you may remember, there was some drama between Crosby and Minshew during a Week 17 game involving Crosby's Raiders and Minshew's Colts.

Crosby referred to Minshew as a "little a** boy" throughout the game. Since then, the hatchet has been buried between the two. I don't think this was meant as a "shot" at Maxx Crosby; rather, a testament to Wilkins' talent. Looking back at Minshew's initial press conference, the quarterback said the following regarding Crosby and Wilkins:

"He's a big ass boy is what he is. God dang. It's awesome. Those are guys, you know, not as much fun to play against, but if they're on your team, I absolutely love it. Excited to be with him, [Crosby and Wilkins] some of the best s*** talkers I've been around in the NFL. To have them on our side, to practice against them every day, it's just going to make me better. I'm super excited about it."

Wilkins & Crosby can set the tone

Wilkins seems to be settling in nicely and possesses every trait you could want in a Raiders defensive lineman. Star players like Crosby and Wilkins are necessary to set the tone for the defense as a whole. Because if they establish the standard for play, the other players on the team will have to meet it. So far, it appears that the addition of Wilkins has proven beneficial. Should this defensive line now include a player with Crosby's work ethic and drive, the league will be put on notice.