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5 Redskins to watch in Week 6 matchup vs. San Francisco 49ers

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 10: Ryan Kerrigan #91 of the Washington Redskins celebrates against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half at FedExField on September 10, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - SEPTEMBER 10: Ryan Kerrigan #91 of the Washington Redskins celebrates against the Philadelphia Eagles in the second half at FedExField on September 10, 2017 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 04: Michael Floyd #15 of the Arizona Cardinals can’t make a catch as Quinton Dunbar #47 of the Washington Redskins defends during the third quarter of a game at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 4, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 04: Michael Floyd #15 of the Arizona Cardinals can’t make a catch as Quinton Dunbar #47 of the Washington Redskins defends during the third quarter of a game at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 4, 2016 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Ralph Freso/Getty Images) /

2. CB Quinton Dunbar

This week, the Redskins are officially going to have one new starter on the defensive side of the ball. After losing Norman to a rib injury in the team’s Week 4 matchup with the Kansas City Chiefs, they are going to have to find a new starter for a few weeks. The player who will be pushed into the starting role is Quinton Dunbar.

Dunbar is a third year man out of the University of Florida who has taken an intriguing path to this role with the team. During his college years, Dunbar was a wide receiver for the Gators but the Redskins elected to convert him to cornerback at the NFL level. After playing mostly on special teams as a rookie, Dunbar became the team’s fourth cornerback last year and started occasionally for them.

When Bashaud Breeland was out, Dunbar looked solid and helped to keep the Redskins competitive in the early going last year. He used his solid size and length to challenge opposing No. 2 receivers and did his best to limit damage against high caliber players. The Redskins will be looking for him to do that again this year, and playing the 49ers will give him a chance to find success early on.

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The 49ers have Pierre Garcon as their top wide-out, but aside from him, they lack proven playmakers. Marquise Goodwin and rookie Trent Taylor figure to play across from Garcon, and neither should give Dunbar much trouble. While Goodwin is a speedster, Dunbar will be able to stick with him for the most past and get safety help over the top when necessary. However, if Dunbar struggles, a faster players like Fabian Moreau could come in to cover him and push Dunbar back into his backup role.

With all that said, the Redskins are going to need to watch Dunbar closely as he gets his first start of the season. Dunbar is a strong player who will have a chance to succeed against the 49ers. But if he struggles, he may lose confidence and the team may have to consider giving a player with more upside a chance. For that reason, he is the top defensive player to watch on Sunday afternoon for the Skins.

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