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For the past three offseasons, fans and analysts have said the Washington Commanders needed to do more at linebacker. After all, the head coach [Ron Rivera] and defensive coordinator [Jack Del Rio] were outstanding NFL linebackers.
Outside of selecting Jamin Davis in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft, Washington has mostly relied on lower-round picks, hybrid players and low-cost veterans. The results have been mixed. Davis struggled badly as a rookie but did take a step forward in 2022. While he is still not where the Commanders want him to be, his growth was an encouraging development last season.
Davis has been slowed this spring after having surgery this offseason. While it isn’t believed to be a long-term issue, it opened the door for fourth-year linebacker Khaleke Hudson to assume a larger role throughout OTAs and minicamp.
Hudson has delivered.
According to former Washington tight end and current analyst Logan Paulsen, Hudson has looked great this offseason.
“The guy that stood out to me the most was Khaleke Hudson,” Paulsen said on his “Take Command” podcast with Craig Hoffman. “Every day. Like, he would just do something where you’re like, ‘Who’s that? Oh, that’s 47. That’s a great blitz. Oh, he snuffed out that screen. That’s 47. Who was in man coverage on that receiver in the slot? Oh, that’s Khaleke.'”
The 25-year-old Hudson was a fifth-round selection in the 2020 NFL draft and has mostly played special teams since entering the NFL. A former college safety, Hudson moved to linebacker late in his college career. Hoffman asked Paulsen if it was possible that everything is now coming together at linebacker for Hudson.
“He looks great,” Paulsen continued. “If he keeps playing this way, I don’t think there’s a lot of need to be super worried about the linebacker group. I forget how sneaky good of an athlete he is. He’s very twitchy; he’s good in space.”
In today’s pass-heavy NFL, Hudson’s skills are essential. The Commanders have often struggled to cover tight ends, something that improved in 2022. Hudson started the final game against the Cowboys and looked outstanding. He has drawn praise from Rivera and Del Rio for his performance. Del Rio has continued praising Hudson throughout the offseason.
Paulsen also complimented newcomer Cody Barton, who is replacing Cole Holcomb at mike linebacker. However, he made it clear that Hudson has been the linebacker who has most caught his attention.