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Redskins Depth Chart: Analyzing the roles of the team’s offensive tackles

By Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 17: Washington Redskins first 2010 first round draft pick Trent Williams #71 walks off the field after a defeat against the Indianapolis Colts at FedEx Field on October 17, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Colts won the game 27-24. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 17: Washington Redskins first 2010 first round draft pick Trent Williams #71 walks off the field after a defeat against the Indianapolis Colts at FedEx Field on October 17, 2010 in Landover, Maryland. The Colts won the game 27-24. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images) /
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BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 10: Tackle Ty Nsekhe #79 of the Washington Redskins sits on the bench during the second half of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 10, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD – AUGUST 10: Tackle Ty Nsekhe #79 of the Washington Redskins sits on the bench during the second half of a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on August 10, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /

Swing Tackle: Ty Nsekhe

There has been some talk this offseason about Ty Nsekhe moving to the left guard position. While that would be a potential option to get the Redskins best five linemen on the field, it probably wouldn’t end up being the best option for the team.

Nsekhe can definitely play left guard, but the fact of the matter is that the Redskins need him as a tackle. For the past couple of seasons, Nsekhe has been excellent at filling in for both Williams and Moses when the two have been out.

In fact, when Williams missed four games during the 2016 season after being suspended, Nsekhe played at such a high level that some had advocated keeping him there for the rest of the year. That never materialized, but the point is that Nsekhe would probably be a starter at left tackle for most NFL teams.

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    • So, here is the question that many will ask about this projection of keeping Nsekhe at tackle. Why not just play him inside at guard? In the event that the team needs help at either tackle position, he could just kick outside and that would solve the problem. Right? Not necessarily.

    Playing Nsekhe at guard would require him to cross-train at guard and tackle, and that could cause his ability as a swing tackle to erode a bit, as he’ll need to hone his guard skills. If I’m the Redskins, I’m looking for a younger player to step up and take over at guard. Keeping the 32-year-old Nsekhe in the role that he has excelled in makes sense.

    Furthermore, if the Redskins had truly wanted to play Nsekhe at guard, they probably would have done it before the 2017 season. They had almost the same exact group of players available, but opted to go with Shawn Lauvao as their starter anyway. Given that, it’s hard to imagine a scenario in which the Redskins cave and elect to move Nsekhe inside.

    All that said, Nsekhe can continue to be one of the best swing tackles in the game. And in the event that the team thinks they really need him at guard, they can move him inside. But for now, he projects to continue to be a great swing tackle and should see action filling in if either Williams or Moses is hurt or needs rest.

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