Troy Apke was a fourth round pick by the Washington Redskins. And upon reviewing his tape and measurables, there are some striking similarities to current Redskins safety Montae Nicholson.
When the Washington Redskins elected to take safety Troy Apke with their fourth round pick in 2018, the selection was met with mixed feelings. While getting a backup safety was a need for the Redskins, some felt that spending a fourth round pick on a guard or a cornerback would be more beneficial. But, the Redskins saw something they liked in Apke, and they decided to make him the pick.
In 2017, the Redskins had a similar situation with one of their fourth round picks. The team selected Michigan State safety Montae Nicholson at that juncture, and some thought that was a risk. Like Apke, Nicholson was a raw, unpolished product with some serious upside but, as NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein said, “blah” tape. Still, Nicholson became the pick and the Redskins starter as well.
Moving forward, the team now appears to be set at defensive back, and Apke will have a chance to win a role in the team’s defensive backfield. Especially considering the fact that the team doesn’t have a good, established backup behind their two starters.
If Apke can develop like Nicholson did, then the Redskins will have a chance to field an excellent safety group for the next five years. With that said, here’s a comparison of Apke and Nicholson’s abilities, considering that there are a lot of similarities between the two.
Both Apke and Nicholson are traits based prospects
When watching college tape of Apke and Nicholson, they don’t particularly stand out. Neither possess particularly good ball skills, and they are at their best when coming downhill. That’s where their athletic ability, size, and strength are shown, and naturally that is why they look good in those situations.
The biggest praise of Apke coming out of Penn State was his ability as an athlete. While many didn’t see a lot on tape that made Apke seem like anything more than a late Day 3 pick, it was clear that he was an elite athlete. And he proved that at the Combine.
Apke blazed a 4.34 second 40-yard dash at the Combine, and he also logged a 41 inch vertical jump and ran the three-cone drill in 6.56 seconds. In the on-field drills, Apke showed excellent burst and the ability to move quickly on the field. This athletic display generated some buzz about Apke, and his performance at his Pro Day did a lot to back that up.
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Similarly, Nicholson had a very good athletic performance at the Combine. He ran the 40 in 4.42 seconds and demonstrated fluid athletic ability in the on-field drills. He did enough to prove that he belonged in the fourth round despite some question marks about his overall ability on-field. His athletic skill set, frame, and potential was what got him drafted where he ended up.
The similarities between Apke and Nicholson as athletes don’t end there. Both have similar frames. Apke stands and 6-foot-1, 200 pounds and has played at a heavier weight in the past. Meanwhile, Nicholson is only slightly bigger at 6-foot-2, 219 pounds. Considering the minor size difference and the minor difference in athletic ability, the two appear to be very similar players, and that could benefit Apke as he transitions to the NFL.
In short, both Nicholson and Apke are traits based guys. Their tape at the college level was decent, but it didn’t do a lot to demonstrate that either player would be a starter right away. However, the traits they have such as size and athleticism demonstrated that both players could have a chance to step in and be productive right away. That’s what Nicholson was able to do, and Apke will have a shot to do that as well. And that will certainly be beneficial for the Penn State product, especially given how good Torrian Gray has been as the defensive backs coach.
Apke, like Nicholson, isn’t expected to start right away
When the Redskins selected Nicholson in the fourth round of the 2017 NFL Draft, it looked like he was going to be given a chance to become the primary backup at safety. He was supposed to play behind D.J. Swearinger and Su’a Cravens, and potentially see some time in nickel and dime packages. Other than that, he was supposed to play special teams.
However, Cravens elected to leave the Redskins just before the start of the 2017 season, putting them in a tough scenario. At the beginning of the season, the team elected to play Deshazor Everett as the starter and brought DeAngelo Hall back off the PUP list to play a role as well. It wasn’t until midway through the year Nicholson really emerged as the top option for the starting job because of his athleticism and coverage skills.
Though Nicholson was pressed into action early, the team didn’t have pressure on him early in the season or during the preseason. So, he could focus on adjusting to the NFL and getting ready in the event that he needed to play. That’s exactly what he did, and that’s how he was able to become one of the NFL’s top safeties so quickly.
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Coming into the 2018 season, the Redskins already have two established starters in Swearinger and Nicholson. At most, Apke figures to fight for the role as a nickel or dime safety and a major contributor on special teams. Does that sound familiar? It’s almost the exact same role that Nicholson played during his first season with the Redskins before being pressed into the starting role.
Similarly to Nicholson, Apke will be afforded an opportunity to develop his skills. Like Nicholson, he is a bit raw in terms of coverage ability, which is sensible given that Apke was only a one-year starter at Penn State. So, getting some extra time with defensive coordinator Greg Manusky and defensive backs coach Torrian Gray to hone his skill set would be excellent for Apke. Then, once he gets his feet wet in the preseason, the team can determine how they would like to proceed with his role on the defense.
That’s not to say that Apke will definitively be a Nicholson-type NFL player
Though there are a great deal of similarities between Apke and Nicholson, it is still worth noting that they have a fair deal of differences as well.
First and foremost, as mentioned before, Apke was only a one-year starter at Penn State. He performed relatively well in his lone season as a starter, but there’s not much growth demonstrated from season to season, as he played mostly as a backup or a sub-package player during the first three years of his career.
Conversely, Nicholson was a starter for two full years at Michigan State, and he also was able to start a few games during his freshman season. In each of his years as a full-time starter, Nicholson recorded at least 83 tackles and he grabbed a total of four picks over that two year span. That sample size dictated that Nicholson at least had the potential to be a productive box safety, as he was consistent across two seasons. Apke only has the one starting season, so that made him a bit more of a risk.
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Of course, it’s also a bit unfair to compare the two, even with the similar skill set, because Nicholson had such a strong rookie season. When fully healthy, Nicholson was in the process of becoming one of the better cover safeties in the NFL. He had the makings of a true playmaker and he didn’t look raw anymore. Apke is a bit rawer than Nicholson, so expecting a similar impact right away may not necessarily work out.
Also, it’s worth noting that Nicholson has had some durability issues at the NFL level. He dealt with a concussion that kept him out for a good portion of the year. Additionally, Nicholson had a shoulder injury he dealt with after having post-draft surgery. This means that he could have possibly been better if he was fully healthy. Also, it means that Apke doesn’t come in with the same medical baggage as Nicholson.
This is more to just temper expectations. Nicholson developed into a starter quickly, but Apke may take more time. The comparison between the two is a solid one, but the rawness associated with both players makes it hard to deem whether or not they are truly ready for big roles in the NFL.
Verdict
Apke isn’t expected to be a starter. He might not even be needed as a primary backup yet. He can work as an athletic gunner on special teams and perhaps in his second season, he will have a role as the third safety.
That said, given his favorable comparison to Nicholson and the success that the Michigan State product had during his first season in D.C., there is reason for optimism among the Redskins faithful. Sure, Apke was probably the biggest reach of the draft by the Redskins. But Nicholson was the biggest reach in 2017, save for perhaps Ryan Anderson, and he turned into what looks like a quality starter.
It’s important never to judge a book by its cover. Apke may not have been a fourth round pick. But that’s not to say that he can’t become a quality playmaker. If Torrian Gray works with him and Nicholson gives him a few tips as well, Apke can become a quality player for the Redskins. And, perhaps, he will be a playmaker in the near future.
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Drafting based on potential and upside is always risky. But Troy Apke has the insane athletic ability needed to be a quality NFL player. And while some may have preferred a different player in Round 4, don’t sleep on Apke’s ability to make an early impact in his NFL career.