Christian Wilkins a possible Browns target in free agency

With depth concerns at defensive tackle, the Cleveland Browns are expected to make some moves this offseason. They could look to retain one of their pending free agents, which includes Maurice Hurst, Jr., Shelby Harris, or Jordan Elliott.

Or, they could go a completely different route.

General manager Andrew Berry has always gone after elite talent, adding players such as Jadeveon Clowney, Amari Cooper, Deshaun Watson, Elijah Moore, Dalvin Tomlinson, and Za'Darius Smith in recent years. Now, there's a belief he could once again target a big-name player with Cleveland being named as a potential landing spot for defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Jeremy Fowler of ESPN says teams such as the Texans are an option for Wilkins but then throws out the Browns as well. As Fowler says, they're always making a splash or two in the offseason.

"Houston is intriguing here. The Texans have ample cap space, a quarterback early on a rookie deal, and a playoff roster. There would be several teams in the mix, though. The Browns are always good for a splash or two, for instance. Would they strengthen an already stout defense with the versatile DT?" — Fowler, ESPN

Christian Wilkins would be a huge add for the Browns defense

Wilkins was the 13th overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft and has 355 tackles with 20.5 sacks in his five-year career. He had his most disruptive campaign in 2023 when he recorded 9.0 sacks and has always been strong against the run.

Adding him to the roster won't be easy, especially since he can command an elite pay day. But the Browns were also never supposed to be able to land Deshaun Watson and found a way to pull that off (whether you like the move or not, it was a shocker).

Putting Wilkins on the same defensive line as 2023 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Myles Garrett and Dalvin Tomlinson would create arguably the best defensive line in the NFL. They would have to make more moves to free up money but the reward would be worth it.

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