This Dolphins Player is a Surprise Breakout Candidate for 2020

There's no denying that the Miami Dolphins were bad last year, but on the bright side, they weren't quite as bad as many expected them to be. Defensive lineman Christian Wilkins had very little chance to thrive as a rookie on that abysmal roster, but now, he's poised to prove that he was worth a first-round draft pick.

Wilkins was inconsistent in 2019, but that's not unusual for a first-year man in the trenches. There was a game in which he didn't contribute a single solo tackle, and there were others in which he posted four with an assist to put the cherry on top. With a year of experience under his belt, the former Clemson star is upwardly mobile this season -- and even has a chance to make a leap.

As a rookie, Wilkins was unfotunately asked to carry an unfairly huge load on D, but the team finally picked up some quality players to complement him on the front line. They traded for defensive end Shaq Lawson, who was a first-rounder in 2016, and got incredibly lucky in the draft when defensive end Curtis Weaver fell to them in the fifth round.

Wilkins' productivity has the chance to skyrocket now that he has a competent supporting cast behind him and head coach Brian Flores is likewise entering his second year in South Beach. He proved last year that he has the potential to be a fine operator, but now that he doesn't have the weight of the entire defensive line on his shoulders, he could develop into a true star for Miami.