Two Clemson Pros Ranked Among Most Impactful NFL Offseason Moves

ESPN ranked the most impactful moves of the NFL offseason (subscription required), and two former Clemson defensive linemen made the list.

Christian Wilkins, now of the Las Vegas Raiders, checked in at No. 7 among ESPN’s top 50 offseason transactions (free agent signings, trade acquisitions and draft selections).

After spending the first five years of his pro career with the Miami Dolphins, Wilkins signed with the Raiders in March on a four-year, $110 million free agent deal.

Here’s what ESPN Senior Writer Mike Clay had to say about Wilkins and why he’s one of the players who will make the biggest instant impact on his new team during the 2024 campaign:

The Raiders might not yet be a serious contender, but signing Wilkins (fifth among DTs with 9.0 sacks in 2023) is a good start. Defensive tackle has been a problem area for this team for years, and now it has one of the best in the business. A line featuring Wilkins and Maxx Crosby will be fun to watch.

A first-round pick (13th overall) of the Dolphins in the 2019 NFL Draft, Wilkins has played in 81 career games and made 77 starts while racking up 353 tackles (202 solo), 20.5 sacks and 43 tackles for loss in his pro career to date.

The 6-foot-4, 310-pounder started in all 17 games last season and finished with 63 tackles (36 solo), 10 tackles for loss and his career-high 9.0 sacks.

Wilkins’ 353 career tackles since entering the league are the most among all defensive linemen over that span and the second most in NFL history among defensive linemen in their first five NFL seasons.

Wilkins was recently ranked No. 58 among The Top 100 Players of 2024 , which is being unveiled by NFL Network and is voted on by the players themselves.

Meanwhile, former Clemson standout and longtime NFL defensive tackle DJ Reader rounded out ESPN’s ranking of the offseason’s most impactful moves with the final spot at No. 50 on the list.

Here’s what Clay wrote about Reader, who is entering his first season with the Detroit Lions after signing a two-year deal with the team worth up to $27.25 million:

Reader was yet another impact addition to a much-improved Lions defense. The 30-year-old doesn’t fill up the box score, but he’s a terrific run stuffer and interior pass rusher, having posted a good-to-great Pro Football Focus grade during all eight seasons in the league. That includes the 11th-best grade among interior linemen in 2023.

Reader spent the last four years (2020-23) with the Cincinnati Bengals following four seasons with the Houston Texans (2016-19) to begin his pro career.

A fifth-round draft pick back in 2016, the 6-foot-3, 335-pounder has established himself as one of the NFL’s top interior defensive linemen. Since entering the league, he has racked up 277 tackles, 23 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks.

Last season, prior to suffering a season-ending torn quad tendon — the same injury he suffered in 2020 — Reader performed well through 14 games, recording 34 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, seven quarterback hits, a fumble recovery and a pass breakup.

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