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Redskins Position Battles: Deshazor Everett vs. the field for the backup safety spot

By Jacob Camenker

LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams reaches out with the ball to score a touchdown as he is tackled by Deshazor Everett #22 of the Washington Redskins at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - SEPTEMBER 17: Todd Gurley #30 of the Los Angeles Rams reaches out with the ball to score a touchdown as he is tackled by Deshazor Everett #22 of the Washington Redskins at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 17, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 20: Marcus Thigpen #11 of the Buffalo Bills returns a kick off against cornerback Deshazor Everett #22 of the Washington Redskins in the second quarter at FedExField on December 20, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 20: Marcus Thigpen #11 of the Buffalo Bills returns a kick off against cornerback Deshazor Everett #22 of the Washington Redskins in the second quarter at FedExField on December 20, 2015 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Matt Hazlett/Getty Images) /

The case for Deshazor Everett

Everett has the leg up on the rest of the competition this offseason for one reason. He’s a veteran.

Everett has been in the team’s system for a few years and he has experience as a starter. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers following the 2015 NFL Draft. Everett had once been considered a potential early-rounds prospect after a very good sophomore year at Texas A&M. However, after his regression in coverage, teams soured on him a bit and that caused him to go undrafted.

After Everett eventually came to Washington, just a few months after initially signing with the Bucs, he quickly impressed the coaching staff. He didn’t quite do enough to earn a role on the team’s active roster to start the season, but shortly into the year, he was promoted to the 53-man unit. And for the past three seasons, he has played a role in the secondary.

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    • In the NFL, Everett moved to the safety position, and there, he has turned into a solid, well-rounded player. He’s good against the run and has flashed solid coverage skills at times. While his cover ability is inconsistent, he can still be a weapon off the bench.

    However, Everett has also made a big impact on special teams. In his first season with the team, he proved to be a core member of that special teams unit and has continued to do solid work in that regard for the past two years. This ability, coupled with his on-field experience at safety, gives him a nice resume, as he can serve as a versatile piece for the team.

    Despite this, it does appear that Everett’s upside is, at this point, somewhat capped. Sure, he’s still just 26, but he had a chance to lock down a potential starting job last season and was unable to do that. Had he performed at least at a solid level while in the starting lineup, he could have at least locked up the No. 3 safety role. But, he didn’t do that and as a result, some of the younger players are garnering consideration for the spot.

    Still, Everett is a savvy veteran who can provide the Redskins with a versatile piece off the bench. Given the more specialized skill set of the other candidates, it’s easy to envision a roster that features Everett as the top option off the bench, at least for one more season.

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