Washington Redskins Depth Chart
By Jon Dove
The Washington Redskins Depth Chart has some areas with excellent depth and others that are very thin.
The Washington Redskins Depth Chart appears to be in much better shape on the defensive side of the ball than in areas such as the offensive line and running back. They might actually have to make some touch choices at the end of training camp in order to meet the roster limits.
Quarterback
Starter: Kirk Cousins
Backups: Colt McCoy and Nate Sudfeld
Kirk Cousins has a lot riding on this season as he looks to establish himself as the Redskins quarterback of the future. Washington is giving Cousins every chance to prove himself with backups like McCoy and Sudfeld not talented enough to challenge for a starting role.
Running Back
Starter: Matt Jones
3rd Down: Chris Thompson
Backups: Keith Marshall and Mack Brown
The lack of depth at the running back position is a major concern. Matt Jones has talented and showed he’s capable of producing last year, but also missed several games with an injury. Chris Thompson is nothing more than a 3rd down back.
Rookie Keith Marshall is a bit of an unknown thanks to his injury issues at Georgia.
Wide Receiver
Starters: DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon
No. 3: Josh Doctson
Backups: Jamison Crowder and Ryan Grant
The pecking order at wide receiver will be fun to monitor throughout the season. Washington needs to get youngsters Josh Doctson and Jamison Crowder involved in the game which will mean less targets for someone like Pierre Garcon.
Tight End
Starter: Jordan Reed
Backups: Niles Paul, Vernon Davis and Logan Paulsen
Jordan Reed is a playmaker and a difference maker when on the field. The issue is that he often appears on the injury report. Niles Paul has proven to also be a strong contributor in the passing game. When healthy, this is one of the deeper tight end groups in the league.
Left Tackle
Starter: Trent Williams
Backups: Cody Booth and Ty Nsekhe
Trent Williams is a stud, but the depth behind him is a real question mark.
Left Guard
Starter: Spencer Long
Backups: Arie Kouandjio and Shawn Lauvao
Long, Kouandjio and Lauvao will all have the opportunity to win the starting job in training camp. The leader in the clubhouse is Long, but watch out for Kouandjio who was underrated as a prospect last year.
Center
Starter: Kory Lichtensteiger
Backup: Josh LeRibeus and Austin Reiter
Lichtensteiger is a solid contributor who should hold onto his starting job. The interesting thing will be to see if Josh LeRibeus can finally life up to his talent.
Right Guard
Starter: Brandon Scherff
Backups: Arie Kouandjio and Shawn Lauvao
Brandon Scherff made an immediate impact as a rookie and will be looking to continue to build off that performance.
Right Tackle
Starter: Morgan Moses
Backups: Cody Booth and Ty Nsekhe
Morgan Moses will always have some mobility issues, but he has cleaned up his technique which has helped with his consistency. The depth at right tackle is just as much as a concern as it is on the left side.
3-4 Defensive End
Starters: Chis Baker and Trent Murphy
Backups: Stephen Paea, Kendall Reyes and Ricky Jean-Francois
Washington has a very strong defensive line rotation which should allow them to keep fresh bodies on the field. It’ll be interesting to see how Trent Murphy adjusts to his position switch as he spent most of his career lining up at outside linebacker.
Nose Tackle
Starter: Kedric Golston
Backups: Jerrell Powe and Matt Ioannidis
Golston will get the majority of the action at nose tackle in obvious passing situations. However, the Redskins will operate a lot in sub-packages which means these three players will see limited action.
3-4 Outside Linebacker
Starters: Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith
Backups: Junior Galette and Trent Murphy
Washington is set with Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith in the starting lineup, but are hoping for some extra help in the pass-rush department with a now healthy Junior Galette. Trent Murphy could also see action at outside linebacker if he fails to adjust to defensive end.
Inside Linebacker
Starters: Perry Riley and Mason Foster
Backups: Will Compton and Steven Daniels
Perry Riley is a solid performer and Mason Foster established himself as a key contributor late last year.
Cornerback
Starters: Josh Norman and Bashaud Breeland
Nickelback: Kendall Fuller
Backups: Will Blackmon and Greg Toler
The late addition of Josh Norman really gave this group a boost. Look for rookie Kendall Fuller to quickly work his way into the rotation.
Safety
Starters: DeAngelo Hall and Su’a Cravens
Backups: David Bruton, Kyshoen Jarrett and Duke Ihenacho
Washington appears committed to giving DeAngelo Hall every opportunity to grab one of the starting safety spots. It’s interesting because both Hall and Cravens will be going through a position switch which could result in some mistakes.