After signing a four-year, $110 million contract last offseason, Christian Wilkins' first campaign with the Las Vegas Raiders did not go according to plan. A foot injury in Week 5 sidelined him for the rest of the year, which is a significant lower-body injury and less than ideal for a player who's now entering his age-30 season.
That said, Wilkins performed solidly when healthy last season. Not only did he record 2.0 sacks, but his Pro Football Focus grades indicated that he was both a top-20 defensive tackle overall and a top-five player against the run at the position before his injury.
Given the huge investment that the Raiders' previous regime made in him, this will be a huge year for Wilkins, and it will start with getting and staying healthy.
Raiders draft rumor invites undue concern about Christian Wilkins
As part of a fresh set of draft notes on Wednesday morning, Tony Pauline of Sportskeeda suggested that one specific Raiders injury could dictate what the franchise does with the No. 6 pick in the NFL Draft.
"I'm told there is serious concern over a foot injury Christian Wilkins has been dealing with since last season," Pauline wrote. "Wilkins underwent surgery to fix a Jones fracture he suffered in Week 5 and was placed on injured reserve, missing the remainder of the season. He may need to have an additional procedure on the foot, and sources tell me he may miss a significant portion of the 2025 season. That concern may swing the decision to (Michigan defensive tackle Mason) Graham's favor."
While Graham would be a solid selection to bolster the Raiders' defensive line, there had been no previous indications that the team was concerned with Wilkins' injury progress.
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Vincent Bonsignore of the Las Vegas Review-Journal was asked about Pauline's report, and he quickly refuted the rumor.
Last I heard he was fully on target with no issues. Something would have had to change, significantly, for this to be accurate. https://t.co/yFYYhdTiWn
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) April 23, 2025
According to Bonsignore and multiple other sources, Wilkins has been a majority participant during offseason work thus far.
A week ago or so. And he's been a full participant during organized workouts. https://t.co/1kLbNP80K9
— Vincent Bonsignore (@VinnyBonsignore) April 23, 2025
If Wilkins was having issues with his recovery from foot surgery, the time to limit his activity would be now, during voluntary workouts. Pauline's suggestion would be fair if Wilkins were not on-site at the facility, and if he truly needed another surgery, but by all accounts, he has been a nearly full participant so far.
Las Vegas may end up taking Graham sixth overall, as Pauline noted, but that does not necessarily mean that there is a concern with Wilkins. Bonsignore's response to the rumor should stand as the gospel on the matter unless something changes.