Reports: Johnathan Hankins to visit Redskins on Sunday

The Washington Redskins are hosting the recently released Johnathan Hankins on Sunday. Landing Hankins would be a huge get for the team.

Some big Redskins news was dropped on Saturday night. Literally. Big news.

Just a few hours after the release of Johnathan Hankins by the Indianapolis Colts, the Redskins jumped at the chance to invite him for a visit. Hankins, a 6-foot-3, 320 pound defensive lineman, drew minor interest from the team last season, until they signed both Stacy McGee and Terrell McClain to fill holes on the defensive line. The strategy of acquiring two, lower-cost players to fill multiple needs backfired, as McGee was merely a decent starter while McClain busted badly.

Hankins was one of the best players on the Colts’ front line last season, and he can play multiple positions in a 3-4 alignment. And now, he will visit the Redskins, according to John Keim of ESPN and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

This is obviously huge for the Redskins. The decision to let Kirk Cousins walk and acquire Alex Smith opened up a bit of excess cap space for the team to utilize, so they should have space to add one more quality starter in free agency. While the team has been tied to veteran cornerbacks like Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie and the recently released Orlando Scandrick, Hankins would be an immediate, plug-and-play starter and at just 25 (26 on March 29), he still has a lot left in the tank.

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As soon as Hankins was released, I was on-board the Hankins to Washington hype train. Here’s what I said about his potential fit in the Redskins defense.

"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."

Adding Hankins to complete their defensive line rotation and getting rid of McClain would be an excellent move by the team. They really need a nose tackle. They’ve needed one for a long time, as Ziggy Hood simply isn’t the answer at the position as he’s undersized. Acquiring Hankins would fill a hole in the middle of the defense, and the front seven would essentially be complete, save for the need for some pass rushing depth.

Next: 3 available free agents for Redskins to sign in second wave

Hopefully, Hankins’ visit goes well on Sunday. The Redskins have had a handful of visits this offseason from outside free agents, but most have ended up elsewhere. If Hankins ends that streak, the Redskins defense could easily have a shot at being a top 10 unit in 2018. That’s why the opportunity to bring Hankins in on a visit is huge in its own right for the Redskins.