Washington Redskins: Ryan Kerrigan Player Profile 2016
Ryan Kerrigan has long been one of the better players on the Washington Redskins defense, but 2016 could end up being his best year yet.
The Washington Redskins have long had troubles with their defense. At times, their secondary was porous. Other times, their pass rush was lacking. However, in the 2011 NFL Draft, the Redskins made a selection that would greatly improve their defense for years to come. They took defensive end Ryan Kerrigan in the first round, and he has been one of their best players since the day he arrived.
must read: Top 5 Position Battles To Watch For Redskins vs. Bills
Kerrigan has been a mainstay for the Redskins since he entered the league in 2011. In five seasons with the team, Kerrigan has never missed a single game, making 82 consecutive starts including postseason games. He has recorded 47.5 career sacks and has never posted less than 7.5 in a year. He is the definition of consistent and he has always made the Redskins team better.
Kerrigan brings a blue collar work ethic to the Redskins team along with his athletic ability. He seems to play with a chip on his shoulder. Perhaps it is because he came from Purdue, which does not get as much attention as other Big Ten teams. Maybe it is because some said he would not fit in at outside linebacker on the Redskins defense and that he had to play with his hand on the ground. Kerrigan has done just that and exceeded expectations despite being a first round pick.
In 2016, Kerrigan could be in for his best year as a pro. He is entering his second year without Brian Orakpo, and his new counterpart Preston Smith should continue to get better by the day. Smith’s improvements will allow Kerrigan more freedom as opposing teams will no longer be able to game plan for just him as a rusher. Of course, there is another major player that the opponents will be focusing on as well.
The acquisition of Josh Norman will actually help Kerrigan a lot in the coming season. Since Kerrigan has been on the Redskins, the team has lacked a shutdown corner. As a result, opposing quarterbacks are usually able to get the ball out quickly and prevent sacks. That will no longer be the case, as Norman will lock down one side of the field and quarterbacks will have to wait longer to throw.
This will mean more time for Kerrigan to get free. As a result, he could break his season high mark of 13.5 sacks. It would not be unreasonable to expect him to get 15 or more sacks if he can stay healthy. That has never been a problem to this point, so his outlook is pretty good.
Also, the Redskins are going to be playing some teams with below average right tackles and that may help Kerrigan further. The Giants are going to be starting Marshall Newhouse at right tackle. Lane Johnson is suspended for the first 10 games of the season, so the Eagles offensive line will struggle as a result. The Lions are planning on starting Riley Reiff over there despite the fact that he should be a guard. Kerrigan will be able to exploit these battles and should fare well in these games at the least.
more riggo's rag: Redskins Trade For Patriots C Bryan Stork
Kerrigan could see a lot of improvement in his sixth year in the league. He has long been the best player on the Redskins defense, but that will change with Norman on the team. He will draw focus away from Kerrigan and that will allow him to thrive. His matchups on the year are decent and he should really be hitting his stride now. The Redskins defense is going to be very good this year, and his projected improvement should be able to help the team a good deal.