Washington Redskins Must Target Gerald Hodges Prior To 2017 NFL Draft

The Washington Redskins need to add some inside linebacker help prior to the 2017 NFL Draft. Gerald Hodges should be their top target at the position.

Before the NFL Draft the Washington Redskins need to address their troubles at the inside linebacker position. There seem to be two excellent options still available in the free agent market, Zach Brown and Gerald Hodges.  The Redskins probably cannot afford Brown but they should be able to pay Hodges enough to bring him on board.

Hodges is a native of Paulsboro, New Jersey. He attended Paulsboro High School, where he lettered in football, wrestling and track, per Wikipedia.  He played both offense and defense for the team, and he was recruited to play linebacker for Penn State. He had a strong college career and was considered to be a solid prospect.

Hodges had a decent performance at the NFL Combine in 2013, though it was far from other worldly. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.70 seconds and completed 22 reps on the weight bench at 225-pounds. That ranked as the 13th best amongst linebackers. Eventually, Hodges became a fourth round pick by the Minnesota Vikings. He was traded to the San Francisco 49ers in 2015 and that is where his career took off.

With the 49ers, Hodges became a solid starter. In just over a season and a half with the team, Hodges recorded 129 total tackles and became a strong contributor for them. In 2016, he was considered to be the 49ers best run stopper but was left on the bench for four games thereby reducing his stats considerably. Still, Hodges started 12 games and posted career highs with three sacks and two interceptions.

Hodges is considered to be a solid starter. He would be an upgrade over current Redskins starter Will Compton, as he is stronger in run support than Comtpon. Hodges was the 49ers best run stopper and only made $1.7 million last year.

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Hodges should be signed for $3 million or less, making him a bargain compared to Brown, who may be marginally better. He is a great athlete, as evidenced by the fact that Penn State tried to utilize him as a punt returner in his college days. Greg Manusky, the Skins new Defensive Coordinator is a Pennsylvania native and should love working with the former Nittany Lion.