Raiders were right to give Christian Wilkins so much money in free agency

The Las Vegas Raiders made a monster move to kick off free agency, adding star defensive tackle Christian Wilkins. The former Miami Dolphins player is one of the best in the game at his position group, and with Aaron Donald retiring, the Raiders may have brought in the next No. 1 option at defensive tackle.

It has been years since the Raiders have had a dominant player at the position group, and while Adam Butler and John Jenkins more than earned their new deal this past season, Wilkins brings this group to a whole other level. The Raiders are building an elite group up front along the defensive line, and that should go a long way in bridging the game between them and the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC West.

If Wilkins is as good as they project him to be, coming off a career-high nine sacks last season, the Raiders are in great shape to dominate the trenches all season long.

Raiders adding Wilkins goes far beyond the money

Adding Wilkins does not only help the Raiders in terms of the production he will have personally on the field, but also what he does to this group as a whole. Star edge rusher Maxx Crosby has never played with a defensive tackle of his caliber before, and one can only assume his addition is going to take a lot of pressure off of Madd Maxx in the pass rush.

The Raiders saw their defense improve in a big way this past season, but with two elite quarterbacks within the division in Justin Herbert and Patrick Mahomes, this levels the playing field a bit. Las Vegas now has multiple guys who can get after the quarterback along the defensive line when you take into consideration Crosby, Wilkins, and Malcolm Koonce.

Wilkins will also help in the development of Tyree Wilson, the team's No. 7 overall pick this past year. Overall, this was a no-brainer of a signing for Tom Telesco, and changes the landscape of the AFC West in terms of who the best defensive team is in a big way.