The Washington Redskins have an embarrassment of riches on the defensive line, bolstering a depth chart that includes five first-round picks. While it will be entertaining to watch that group go to battle once the season finally starts, it is also going to be intriguing to see which players step up in training camp this year, and earn their way into a starting spot.
The fact of the matter is that not all of those players will be able to share the field at the same time, and a few will likely get knocked down a rung in the process and forced to fill a rotational or back-up role. They’ll still have an impact on the game, but obviously not as much of one as they’d like.
Defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio’s solution for this is competition.
"You're not going to play all the time, you're not going to always be the starter. Those things are best settled through competition." — Jack Del Rio on having all of these good players, but obviously not everyone will be able to get on the field #HTTR
— Rhiannon Walker (@InstantRHIplay) May 28, 2020
Asked about Ryan Kerrigan and the depth at defensive end with Sweat, CY, etc, Jack Del Rio says "Were fired up about having all these guys but they can’t all be on the field at the same time”
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 28, 2020
We’ve projected that the starting front line will likely consist of Chase Young, Montez Sweat, Daron Payne, and Jonathan Allen. However, it’s pretty easy to guess that any one of those spots is up for grabs. Could Ryan Kerrigan show out one again in training camp and prove that he still has some good years left? Absolutely. Will Matt Ioannidis continue to build off of his stellar 2019 season and force Payne or Allen to take a step aside while he stakes his claim on the front line? I’d buy it. In the end, this group of 7 or 8 guys will be pitted against each other early on, forced to grit and grind their way to a starting spot. Because of that, everyone will be better for it, and we’ll get the best product possible when all is said and done.
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