1. Washington Redskins
Let’s start with the good news. A stout defensive front in Washington got even better this offseason, when the Redskins added defensive end Chase Young with the second-overall selection. Young joins players such as Ryan Kerrigan, Montez Sweat, Da’Ron Payne and Jonathan Allen, giving the team a whopping five first-round picks on their defensive front. That is some serious talent.
Furthermore, despite what some in the D.C. area might lead you to believe, Dwayne Haskins showed legitimate promise down the stretch last year. Sure, he struggled early, but as his season wore on he showed on film that the game was slowing down for him. His best two games of the year were his final two. First was a Week 15 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, in which Carson Wentz’s last minute heroics overshadowed Haskins’ two-touchdown effort. Then in Week 16, Haskins had completed 12 of his 15 attempts for 133 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the New York Giants before an ankle injury ended his season.
Haskins also has the emerging Terry McLaurin, a revelation at the WR spot, to throw to, as well as Trey Quinn in the slot and Steven Sims Jr., who is a player to keep an eye on. Brandon Scherff, one of the league’s best interior offensive linemen, remained in town after testing free agency, thanks to the franchise tag. The organization is reportedly working on a long-term deal with him.
The problems in Washington, however, stem from the questions that remain about almost every other position. With Trent Williams being traded to San Francisco, the offensive line has issues outside of Scherff. Tight end is a big need, with the release of Jordan Reed. How much longer does Adrian Peterson have? How healthy is Derrius Guice?
Defensively, while the front is impressive, the back half is not. A group of castoffs and later round picks is expected to fill out the secondary, meaning that any improvements on the defensive side of the football might be due to what the group up front accomplishes.
Ron Rivera was hired to rebuild this franchise. It might take more than a single offseason.