In the 2013 season the Washington Redskins defense finished in the lower half of the league in total defense and tied for second worst in the league in points per game. Needless to say, they needed some improvement going into this offseason. As we stand right now, they haven’t made the improvements that are necessary to be true contenders.
If the season started tomorrow, their starting three defensive linemen are Jarvis Jenkins at left defensive end, Chris Baker at nose tackle, and Jason Hatcher at right defensive end. Their four linebackers are Ryan Kerrigan at left outside linebacker, Darryl Sharpton and Perry Riley at inside linebacker, and Brian Orakpo at right outside linebacker. Their secondary, easily the weakest part of the defense, are DeAngelo Hall and David Amerson at cornerback and Brandon Meriweather and Ryan Clark at the safety positions.
As mentioned before, their secondary is by far the weakest position group on their defense. They have six draft picks in the upcoming draft (one pick in each round except for the first) and they can easily use those picks to improve their secondary. With their second round pick they could take a quality safety in Deone Bucannon out of Washington State, Ahmad Dixon out of Baylor, or hope that Jimmie Ward out of Northern Illinois falls to the second round. With their third round pick they might be able to grab Pierre Desir out of Lindenwood (I doubt he slips to the third but it’s a possibility) or Bashaud Breeland out of Clemson University. All of these players would either be immediate starters on the Redskins or would end up taking over their respective starting positions by season’s end. With their third or fourth round pick they will likely take an inside linebacker. Lucky for them there are some very good inside linebackers that will probably be available in the mid-rounds.
The other three picks they have in the draft they would be able to use to add depth at a few positions. The obvious problem with having so few draft picks is they cannot afford to miss on any picks. The San Francisco 49ers, for example, pretty much missed on their entire 2012 draft and seemingly haven’t missed a beat and currently own 11 picks in this upcoming draft. The Redskins don’t have that luxury though and will have a lot of pressure on them going into the draft this May.
The Redskins have added some pieces, changed their coaching staff, and have the opportunity to add some more quality pieces in the draft. They’re in a division that is completely up for grabs as well. However, if they neglect their secondary this May, don’t expect them to be in the playoff hunt at the end of the season.