Christian Wilkins, defensive lineman, Clemson
Clemson defensive lineman Christian Wilkins could very well be the top pick in next year’s NFL Draft, but he’s going to have to do a lot to prove himself in 2017.
While its true that defensive lineman can make an impact bigger than the stat sheets and they often-times find ways to turn heads outside of pure numbers, Wilkins wasn’t even the most productive lineman on his team.
His 13.0 tackles for loss in 2016 had him tied with for the 67th best output in that category nationally, and he looked up to his teammate Carlos Watkins at 13.5. In terms of sacks, Watkins did notch 3.5, but in the grand scheme of things he wasn’t even top 100 in that category in 2016.
Wilkins may have the look and athleticism of a future NFL star, but in terms of the 2017 season, he’ll enter it overrated until he can pick up his production a bit.