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Redskins should have interest in recently released DL Johnathan Hankins

By Jacob Camenker

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 17: Johnathan Hankins #95 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates after a tackle against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 17, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - SEPTEMBER 17: Johnathan Hankins #95 of the Indianapolis Colts celebrates after a tackle against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half at Lucas Oil Stadium on September 17, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /
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The Indianapolis Colts released Johnathan Hankins on Saturday just a year after signing him to a three-year contract. This could be an opportunity for the Washington Redskins to add defensive line help.

On Saturday afternoon, the Indianapolis Colts made a surprising move. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Colts elected to part ways with Johnathan Hankins who had been a major acquisition for them during the 2017 offseason. At the time, Hankins had signed a three-year, $27 million deal to help solve some of the Colts’ problems on the defensive line. Now, for the second time in two years, Hankins will be available on the free agent market.

This should excite the Washington Redskins. The team is looking for one more player on the defensive line, and they are armed with cap space to potentially make a move to get a quality player. Hankins would certainly qualify.

Hankins is a versatile defensive lineman who has experience playing in the Giants’ 4-3 defense and the Colts’ 3-4 defense. However, it appears as though he was a better fit in the 3-4 defense, as the Colts are switching schemes and elected to part ways with him. During the season, Hankins played well and was ranked as the No. 20 overall defensive lineman by Pro Football Focus with a grade of 85.0. Hankins is a terrific run stuffer with some minor pass rushing ability. That’s why he’s a better fit in the 3-4, where the main role of the nose tackle is to stop the run.

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    • And yes, I do consider Hankins to be a potential nose tackle. It’s worth noting that last year in the Colts defense, Hankins played next to nose tackle Al Woods sometimes, but he moved around the line quite a bit. With a 6-foot-3, 320 pound frame, Hankins has the size to play the nose in the Redskins defense and stuff the run. That said, he also can shift out to the end positions to play as a five technique. That versatility is what makes him valuable.

    It’s also worth noting that as a pass rusher, Hankins isn’t too bad for an interior man. In his career, he has 12 sacks spanning five seasons, but he has posted multiple sacks in each of the past two years. In his best year, Hankins logged seven sacks as a part of the Giants strong defensive front. He probably won’t have that type of production in a 3-4 defense, but even getting a little pressure would be helpful.

    For the Redskins, adding Hankins on a deal would be a no-brainer. He could command money similar to the three-year, $27 million deal that Dontari Poe signed this offseason, but if the Redskins have the space, bringing him on would be a great idea. Hankins could start next to Jonathan Allen on the line with Stacy McGee as the early downs starter and Ziggy Hood and Matt Ioannidis filling in as rotational guys. That seems like a very strong potential defensive line unit. And that projection doesn’t even include Anthony Lanier!

    If the Redskins were to bring in Hankins, the team would probably try to move on from Terrell McClain one way or another. The 2017 free agent signing was a bust as he didn’t fit in the Redskins scheme and failed to produce as a result. Moving on from him would be a good idea, and it’s curious as to why they signed him and McGee instead of targeting Hankins, Poe, or Bennie Logan last offseason.

    Next: 3 available free agents for the Redskins to sign

    With Hankins, the Redskins defense would look like a potential top 10 unit. So, the team has to consider going after him with the cap space that they have available. It would be a smart investment, and would allow them to go after players outside of the nose tackle position in the first few rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft.

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