Raiders head coach Antonio Pierce is loving what he’s seeing of this offseason’s big free agent signing.
Pierce says defensive tackle Christian Wilkins, who signed a four-year deal worth $110 million in March, has proven to be the equal of the player he lines up next to, defensive end Maxx Crosby, who is legendary for his intense practice habits.
“It’s Maxx Crosby inside,” Pierce said of Wilkins, via NFL.com. “Maxx shows up at 6 a.m., Christian’s here at 6. Maxx leaves at 5, he’s here at 5. You watch them practice, it’s a thing of beauty when you have two of your best players work as hard as anyone on the team. But more importantly, he’s a perfectionist.”
Pierce said Wilkins has become one of the best leaders on the team.
“He wants to be the best; he’s striving to be the best,” Pierce said. “No different than a lot of our players on the team, but what I love about him is the teammate. He’s a great teammate. He’s a good person. You see him bring over a lot of these young defensive tackles, work with them on the side. Not selfish at all; he wants to win.”
Pierce will be turning Crosby and Wilkins loose against Justin Herbert and the Chargers on Sunday, and the Raiders’ coach is sounding confident in his defensive front.
Source Agencies
