The Washington Football Team has one of the best overall rosters in the entire NFL. Recent draft success has played a major part in the reshaping of Washington’s roster.
According to Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, two Washington draft picks from 2020 could be on the verge of stardom.
Farrar recently named 15 second-year players on the verge of a breakout and included Washington running back Antonio Gibson and safety Kamren Curl on the list.
Gibson, a third-round pick out of Memphis in 2020, was outstanding as a rookie until a toe injury slowed him late in the season. He still rushed for 795 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also averaged 4.7 yards per attempt.
Farrar sees big things in Gibson’s future.
When I watched tape with Gibson, the Memphis alum, before the 2020 draft, it was obvious to me that he was the most explosive player in his draft class, regardless of position. The running back/receiver hybrid, who had just 33 carries in his college career (for 369 yards, 11.2 yards per carry and four touchdowns), became a total back in his rookie season, amassing 826 yards and scoring 11 rushing touchdowns on 184 attempts. Gibson also provided value as a receiver, but it was his efforts on the ground that were transformational. This was never more the case than in Washington’s 41-16 thumping of the Cowboys on Thanksgiving day, when Gibson carried the ball 20 times for 115 yards and three touchdowns.
Not Amused: Jerry Jones.
In that game, Gibson became the first rookie to score three touchdowns on Thanksgiving Day since some guy named Randy Moss burned Dallas for three scores in 1998. Among qualifying NFL backs regardless of tenure in 2020, Gibson finished eighth in Football Outsiders’ DYAR (season-cumulative) metric, and sixth in DVOA, FO’s per-play stat that is adjusted for situation and opponent. Gibson was slowed by turf toe late in the season, but if he’s healthy all the way through 2021, watch the heck out.
Curl, a seventh-round pick in 2020, took over at strong safety when Landon Collins went down and became a force for Washington in the secondary.
This, we did not expect. Through three seasons at Arkansas, Curl allowed 80 catches on 142 targets for 1,154 yards, 371 yards after the catch, 12 touchdowns, two interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 105.2. Like a lot of college defenders these days, Curl played all over the place, with considerable snaps at free safety, slot defender, box defender, and outside cornerback. He was an afterthought in the 2020 draft, waiting until the 216th overall pick in the seventh round before Washington called his name.
Curl didn’t get real reps until safety Landon Collins suffered a torn Achilles tendon in late October, and then? A different Kamren Curl showed up. All of a sudden, his snap counts doubled, his responsibilities expanded, and he was able to meet every challenge. Playing everywhere he did in college, with additional snaps as a blitzer on the defensive line, Curl allowed 43 catches on 54 targets for 408 yards, 258 yards after the catch, two touchdowns, three interceptions, and an opponent passer rating of 87.3.
“He fits wherever we put him and he’s done a great job of that,” defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio said of Curl in June. “He played multiple positions last year and really had a fine year. We expect him to continue to be who he is.
“He’s bright and a good football player and makes good football decisions on the field. He communicates well with his teammates. We just want our guys to work. Put in the work and develop. Roles will be determined. Right now the focus is how we do things, where you’re expected to be and get there and play fast.”
With Collins back on the field, Washington can move Curl around to other positions, perhaps using his route anticipation abilities more in the slot.
“Whatever role they got for me, I can play it,” Curl said this summer. “Really, I just want to be on the field helping the team out. So when that comes, we’ll cross that bridge.”
Kamren Curl was a surprise to just about everyone in 2020. That will not be the case in 2021 — the word is out.
In case you were wondering, defensive end Chase Young did not make the list because, well, he is already a star.
With so many talented young players, it’s easy to see why so many are high on Washington entering 2021.
