Washington Redskins Troy Apke ready to prove he offers more than speed

Washington Redskins fourth-round pick Troy Apke is fast.

Like, really fast.

Apke ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the 2018 NFL Combine. He also ran a 4.03 20-yard shuffle time. Apke is fast. And he’s quick. But with the Washington Redskins, Apke will be looking to prove that he offers more than speed alone.

The Washington Redskins drafted Apke because of his speed, but by extension, they selected him for his potential. Apke’s speed and his height allows him to cover the field quicker than most safeties, and there is a place in the NFL for his aggressive style.

Some have compared Apke’s upside as a prospect in the fourth round to that of Montae Nicholson‘s. Nicholson, after being drafted in the fourth round last year, went on to start several games for the Washington Redskins, providing high level play before he would ultimately be lost to injury. This year, he’s in line to not only start, but be a key player on defense.

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Comparing Nicholson and Apke side by side, Nicholson was the better prospect, and by a sizable margin; Nicholson has better length, and he’s taller. His on-ball production was better, and he displayed much more polish and ability to diagnose plays from deep.

Apke doesn’t have that polish. Often, he gets swept up by the speed of the game, and uses his own speed to counter. But that speed, as raw and unharnessed as it is, gives Apke potential that other safeties might not have.

Apke will start on special teams, as many do when they enter the league. His speed and his tenacity make for a perfect match in that role. He’s up for the challenge, but as he told Stephen Czarda in an article on Redskins.com, his goal is to use special teams as a stepping stone, not a career choice.

"I think [playing special teams is] going to be a big thing. That’s what I’m going to make my name on – special teams – there. And then, you know, I played it all throughout college, I played on all four special teams so that will be big for me. I’m going to make a name for myself on special teams first, and then after that, just make my way into playing safety there."

Apke makes it sound so easy. But the fact of the matter is, few players ever make the leap from special teams to a niche on defense. DeShazor Everett was expected to do something similar last year, and when injuries struck the safety core, he had his opportunity. This year, he’s back with the team as a valuable asset on special teams. But he couldn’t carve out a greater role on defense.

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With his speed, Apke hopes to break the mold. But it will take more than speed, and Apke knows that. The Penn State product brings speed to the Washington Redskins up front; that’s why they drafted him in Round 4. But in time, Apke knows he needs to be more than a number on a clock.

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