Dolphins’ Christian Wilkins: I didn’t know suplexes were illegal in the NFL

Message sent by Dolphins coach Brian Flores (with likely an obscenity or two).

Message received by rookie defensive tackle Christian Wilkins.

Under no circumstances going forward should he grab a running back whose forward progress is stopped, pick him up and body slam him to the ground. Predictably, Wilkins’ over-the-top tackle of Chargers running back Austin Ekeler Sunday drew a 15-yard flag.

Wilkins didn’t know that rule before the game. He will never forget it after — particularly since Flores ripped him mercilessly on the sideline and benched him for a couple series.

“I can’t do that,” Wilkins said, when asked what he learned from the ordeal. “It’s a big picture and a bigger deal. That doesn’t just cost me, it cost my teammates. It’s just another learning experience, rookie mistake. Just learn from everything. I didn’t know you couldn’t really do that. I didn’t know there could be a flag or anything like that. But now I do know that. It won’t do that again. But it’s definitely a learning experience.”

One of many for the draft’s No. 13 pick.

Flores has the highest hopes for Wilkins’ future, saying Monday that the young defensive tackle is “going to be here a long time and be a face of what we want to be about.” But Flores plans on helping make that happen by riding Wilkins hard — sometimes privately, sometimes not.

Does Wilkins remember the content of his conversation with his head coach on the sidelines after that misguided play?

“I don’t,” he said. “It was loud, though. He definitely was not happy with me, and I was not happy with myself because, again, it cost myself and the team.”

Growing pains are inevitable in the NFL, but particularly on the interior line. He simply had not faced players in college the quality they are in the NFL.

Already in his young career, Wilkins has already been asked to tangle with Marshal Yanda and Zack Martin, two of the best interior offensive linemen of the past decade. He has probably lost more of those battles than he has won.

Through four games Wilkins has 17 tackles, but none for loss. And the Dolphins’ defense has allowed 175.8 rushing yards per game, which is by far the most in the league.

“There’s no substitute for experience,” Dolphins defensive coordinator Patrick Graham said. “I think he’s making progress, just like some of our other guys are making progress. Eventually when the mental catches up with the physical, then it all ties together, then it becomes a beautiful thing.”

But Wilkins can affect the game in ways that don’t show up on the stat sheet. The No. 1 thing Graham wants from his trench players is “block destruction.“

“In terms of violence and destruction and things like that, that’s in their job description,” Graham said. “I would say that’s high on the priority list. As he improves and uses his hands and gets off of blocks and is able to find the ball, I would say that any time you’re a part of the front or just the defender, we’re trying to be destructive.”

Wilkins added: “It’s definitely a good feeling. Because the guy across from you is a pro, too. And I’m sure there is an extra sense of that’s a lot of what football is. Can you win your 1-on-1 matchup? Can you move a man against his will? No matter what he tries? Can you move him? Can you get him out of the way? Can you dominate him? Can you defeat him? So it’s always nice when you can do that.”

For sure. As long as the domination ends at the whistle, and not with a suplex.