Bills Will Sign DT with 9 Sacks, 65 Tackles, PFF 82.4 to Boost 2025 Defense

Buffalo, NY – May 1, 2025

The Buffalo Bills are poised to revolutionize their defense, signing Las Vegas Raiders defensive tackle Christian Wilkins to a two-year, $24 million deal, sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. With a standout 2024 season, Wilkins aims to fortify Josh Allen’s front line, targeting a 2025 Super Bowl breakthrough.

Wilkins, 29, posted 9 sacks, 65 tackles, and a PFF grade of 82.4 in 2024, ranking among the NFL’s elite interior linemen. After the Raiders’ cap constraints led to his release, Brandon Beane leveraged $27.37 million from cuts like Dane Jackson and Von Miller to secure the former Clemson star.

Drafted 13th overall by Miami in 2019, Wilkins has amassed 356 tackles, 24.5 sacks, 81 tackles for loss, and 48 quarterback hits over 97 games. His 2023 breakout (8 sacks, 20 QB hits) and three All-American honors at Clemson (2016-2018) highlight his dominance, despite missing Pro Bowl nods as a 2024 alternate.

Wilkins’s versatility is critical for the Bills, whose 2024 run defense ranked 21st, conceding 135.1 yards per game. DaQuan Jones, 33 and a 2026 UFA, recorded only 4 tackles for loss, while Ed Oliver’s pass rush (9.5 sacks) lacks run-stopping grit, leaving Buffalo vulnerable to Derrick Henry’s 199-yard rampage.

The Chiefs’ 430-yard playoff onslaught exposed Buffalo’s defensive gaps. Wilkins’s 2024 stats—top-10 in DT pass rush, top-4 in run defense—make him a perfect fit to anchor the line. His 12 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits will complement Oliver, easing pressure on a secondary allowing a 68.5% completion rate.

“Wilkins is a game-wrecker,” Beane told The Buffalo News’ Ryan O’Halloran. “He’s vital for Allen’s title run.”

With James Cook’s $15 million contract dispute unresolved, Beane’s $5.3 million cap, bolstered by 2025 draftees like Maxwell Hairston, secures Wilkins as a cornerstone. Cook’s 1,086 rushing yards will pair with a fortified front, enhancing Sean McDermott’s scheme against mobile quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes.

“He’s a defensive anchor,” said NFL Network’s Bucky Brooks. “Wilkins powers Allen’s Super Bowl quest.”