Redskins: A look at who may be the odd man out on the defensive line
Ziggy Hood
Ziggy Hood has had a fascinating career. A former first round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2009, the Missouri product was widely considered to be a bust through the first seven seasons of his career. In Pittsburgh, he was given a chance to function as a starter, and he didn’t do enough to impress the team. After that, he bounced around from Jacksonville to Chicago before finally landing in Washington.
Hood signed a futures deal with the Redskins during the week of Super Bowl 50. It wasn’t expected that he would do much other than battle for a reserve role with the team. However, Hood greatly impressed Jay Gruden with his work during that offseason, and he earned a job as an opening day starter at left end. And in the first game of the season, he looked good there.
However, after an injury to nose tackle Kedric Golston, Gruden was forced to kick Hood inside to nose tackle. Hood had experience playing the position a bit in Pittsburgh, but he wasn’t a natural fit because of his lack of functional strength at the position. Hood’s skill set is based more off quick movement and athleticism, so putting him at nose tackle wasn’t exactly the best for him. But, he never complained and played 30 games at the position in the next two seasons.
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With Payne and Settle coming in as potential options at nose tackle, Hood will be able to move back to his end position, which will probably suit him better. He could work out as a potential rotational interior pass rusher, and that is something that the Redskins could use. He might end up being an ideal backup behind Jonathan Allen, and his positional versatility could come in handy too.
Hood does come with some concerns. First of all, he is 31 years old, so he may be advancing into the twilight of his career. He could still have a few good seasons left in the tank, but he could start to regress at any point. So, that is something to keep an eye on.
But, the bigger point with Hood is that he struggled to stop the run as the nose tackle in the Redskins defense. Because of his below average ability in this area, he may not be able to play a substantial role, especially if he declines athletically at any point. So, this is the biggest thing working against Hood.
What Hood does have going for him is that the coach likes him, he is versatile across the line, and he has pass rushing ability. That might be enough to get him onto the final roster, especially given the injury concerns the Redskins had on the defensive line last year. Having a reliable option would be nice for the team.