In the coming months, the Washington Redskins will look to trim down their 90-man roster ahead of the impending regular season. Every year, we see a number of unheralded players find their way onto the final roster. Nose tackle Joey Mbu could be a candidate to be one in 2017.
The Redskins knew their defense required change on a massive scale coming into the 2017 offseason. Their acquisitions in free agency and the NFL Draft did not disappoint. They succeeded in adding multiple game changers at all three levels. However, one position essential to the 3-4 scheme was largely left alone. The position of nose tackle.
The team has lacked an effective 3-4 nose tackle for quite some time. And although they often flex into different schemes, the lack of overall talent at nose tackle has haunted them for the past few seasons; their run defense has been a perennial nightmare. The team signed former first-round pick Phil Taylor to cope with this issue, but his success is no guarantee.
However, while Taylor is the player that warrants the most attention at the position, the Redskins have other options. These unheralded players have flown under the radar thus far in the offseason, but there’s a chance that one of them could give the Redskins the nose tackle they’ve been searching for.
One of those players is Joey Mbu. Mbu has yet to do much during his NFL career, but if he continues his development, he could end up making the team’s final roster.
Mbu is no stranger to being overlooked. Despite earning all-AAC honors in his senior year with the Houston Cougars, Mbu went undrafted in 2015.
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The defensive captain for the Cougars in 2014, Mbu recorded 32 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and an interception in his final year. He amassed an impressive 50 starts in four years with the Cougars. Despite his experience and character, he went undrafted, and signed with the Atlanta Falcons days after the draft.
Mbu’s short career has been quite the roller coaster ride. After preseason of 2015, the Falcons waived Mbu from the roster, only to sign him to the practice squad days later. He remained there until December, when the Falcons elevated him to the 53-man roster. Then a rookie, Mbu appeared in the final two games of the season, recording four total tackles in limited action.
He showed he could play. But he ultimately didn’t show enough. The Falcons included Mbu in their final cuts of the 2016 preseason. They brought him back on the practice squad once again, but released him for good soon after.
The Redskins added Mbu to their practice squad the following October, and signed him to a futures contract this past January. Their hope is that Mbu’s character and intelligence will allow him to develop into a quality nose tackle. Whether that will happen, however, remains to be seen.
Compared to the rest of the NFL, Mbu’s physical traits are relatively pedestrian. It’s his effort and perseverance that have gotten him this far. In the NFL, however, those traits can only get you so far.
It remains to be seen where Mbu’s physical ceiling lies. At 6-foot-3, 315 pounds, he certainly has the size to impose himself on the defensive line. However, he’s yet to apply his size and power effectively thus far in his career. He has potential, but other players are more certain.
What sets Mbu apart is his character. He was a team captain at Houston in his final year, and coaches often beamed when asked about Mbu by scouts. He’s a very coachable player. But as NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein wrote in 2015, Mbu’s fate in the NFL rests on his ability to combine mental character with physical power.
"Mbu will outwork many of the defensive tackles in this draft, but the question is whether his effort level can make up for his inability to dominate against the run or as a pass rusher. Mbu’s football character and size give him a shot to make an NFL team."
Mbu’s first shot came in Atlanta. His second will come this offseason in Washington. There are players with more athleticism and physical prowess that threaten to overshadow Mbu. He’ll have to work harder than he ever has to ensure that he won’t be overlooked again.
None of the current nose tackles on the roster are guaranteed to remain. Although Mbu has relatively little competition at his position, he’ll have to show that he has the physicality to make an impact if he wants to succeed.
Mbu’s work ethic is known to be exceptional. And his size automatically provides him with a boost in the nose tackle competition. But too often, he’s shown a lack of strength and leverage on the field against opposing offensive linemen. He’ll have to eradicate this flaw in order to move forward.
There’s no question that Mbu will work tirelessly to correct his mistakes. However, some players simply have a ceiling, for whatever reason, whether it be due to mental acuteness, or, in Mbu’s case, physical and fundamental limitations. Mbu may have already met his ceiling.
Nevertheless, Mbu has another chance to show that he has room to grow this offseason. This position battle is winnable, and the if Mbu works hard enough, he could separate himself and grow into a larger role on the Redskins’ defensive line.
Next: Washington Redskins Unheralded Players: CB Tharold Simon
Mbu is entering his third NFL season. At 24 years old, he still has plenty of time to improve and grow as a player. And he couldn’t have a better coach to learn from than Jim Tomsula. This is likely Mbu’s last chance to make it in the NFL, and expect him to bring it every day as he fights for a roster spot.