Free agency has slowed to a crawl and the 2017 NFL Draft is over and done. So have the Washington Redskins done enough on the defensive side of the football to provide some help for quarterback Kirk Cousins and the team’s productive attack? The priority was Defense this offseason and the draft provided some help. The club used its first three selections and their final two picks on this side of the ball. So who did the ‘Skins haul in over the three-day event?
More reinforcements
Last week, team president Bruce Allen watched things unfold in Philadelphia.
And the team’s patience was rewarded as University of Alabama defensive lineman Jonathan Allen fell to the 17th overall pick and right into the lap of the Washington Redskins. He will now be in the mix with newcomers Terrell McClain (Dallas Cowboys) and Stacy McGee (Oakland Raiders), two of the team’s key free-agent pickups this offseason. One round later, the Redskins opted for another former member of the Crimson Tide in outside linebacker Ryan Anderson. The team is set in terms of starters at the position with reliable Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith.
The second-round pick is an ideal addition, especially with standout pass-rusher Trent Murphy getting ready to serve a four-game suspension to start the season.
And with Junior Galette’s status still up in the air, Anderson is an ideal pickup. The third round brought cornerback Fabian Moreau (UCLA), one of four newcomers in the secondary…sort of. Washington also added safety Montae Nicholson (Michigan State) and cornerback Joshua Holsey. Meanwhile, versatile Josh Harvey-Clemons was a safety at Louisville but was drafted as a linebacker.
All told, the ‘Skins used six of their 10 picks to bolster coordinator Greg Manusky’s unit.
What to expect
Jonathan Allen should make an immediate impact on a Washington Redskins’ defensive unit that has allowed the fifth-most total yards in the NFL in each of the past two seasons. The team matched up poorly with the eventual NFC East champion Dallas Cowboys this past year.
In each loss, the ‘Skins gave up 100-plus yards on the ground and the Cowboys totaled 30 running plays. Allen, along with McClain and McGee, hope to rectify those issues. What will be very interesting is how the team’s new faces in the secondary, in particular the rookies, handle the rest of the wide receivers in the division such as Dez Bryant (Cowboys), Odell Beckham Jr. and Brandon Marshall (New York Giants), as well as Jordan Matthews, Torrey Smith and Alshon Jeffery (Philadelphia Eagles) – to name just a few. And can Anderson provide some depth to the pass rush early on? Stay tuned.
