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Anthony Lanier’s Fit In The Washington Redskins Roster Puzzle

By Ian Cummings

Nov 13, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive players line up against Washington Redskins defensive players in the first quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 13, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Minnesota Vikings offensive players line up against Washington Redskins defensive players in the first quarter at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 4, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of a Washington Redskins helmet against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 4, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of a Washington Redskins helmet against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Anthony Lanier’s potential remains a bit of a mystery.

The Redskins based their decision to retain Lanier on the combination of size and athleticism he possesses, but they’ve seen little of his actual production on the football field in the NFL. Lanier only played in five games on the season before being placed on injured reserve. Besides recovering a key fumble against the Cincinnati Bengals, Lanier did little to make an impact.

But it was early in his career. And with more time to grow and learn under defensive line coach Jim Tomsula, the Redskins believe Lanier has the potential to be a disruptive player on the line. Here’s what Jay Gruden had to say about Lanier, courtesy Paola Argueta of the Redskins website:

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"“[Lanier] was a guy that was one of the most difficult for our [offensive linemen] to block,” Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said this week at the annual NFL League Meetings in Phoenix. “He was not a very natural rusher, either. He was doing it on pure power, length. And I think the more he works coming out of his stance, getting off on the snap count, hand usage, all the things Coach Tomsula worked with him, I think he’s got a chance to be really, really good.”"

Lanier is similar to 2017 draft prospect Malik McDowell in this sense. He’s raw, but he has the physical traits to be a punisher on the field. At 6-foot-6, Lanier possesses very good length. And according to the Argueta piece, Lanier has moved up in weight, from 270 last year to his current weight of 290.

Lanier doesn’t have character issues like McDowell. The fact that he worked his way onto the roster after going undrafted is more than enough evidence of this. Because the current workouts are not football related, however, it remains to be seen whether Lanier’s fundamentals have improved. We likely won’t see this until the real football starts.

But Lanier does have upside, and Tomsula, one of the best defensive line coaches in the business, should be able to get the best out of the young player. If the Redskins feel that Lanier has a good chance to see drastic improvement this year, then they may want to think twice about reaching in the first or second round for a defensive lineman.

Next: Washington Redskins Running Back Big Board

The Redskins have had little success in acquiring impactful defensive linemen in recent years. But with Lanier, they may have found quite the gem. He has all the makings of an impactful defensive lineman. But will that image ever come to fruition? We’ll have to wait until September to find out.

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