No. 2 Corner: CB Quinton Dunbar
The No. 2 cornerback position is one that’s a bit of an unknown at the moment. The Redskins let Bashaud Breeland, the No. 2 man from last season, walk in free agency and he remains unsigned. Despite this fact, the Redskins haven’t made an effort to bring him back, as they like the potential of the other guys they have on the roster.
Notably, Quinton Dunbar has gotten a lot of positive buzz this offseason. It’s easy to see why. Dunbar is coming off the best season of his career in which he played 15 games, notched four starts, and recorded a career-high with eight pass defenses. He seems to be the favorite for the starting role right now and could lock it down with a strong camp.
Our own Ian Cummings is particularly bullish on Dunbar’s potential and ranked him as the second-best Redskins player that nobody talks about. Here’s what he said about Dunbar in that piece.
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"Just as Dunbar showed elite flashes last season, he has the potential to make “elite” the new normal in 2018. Think about it. Since 2015, ever since he made a position switch as an undrafted rookie, Dunbar has been learning the nuance of the cornerback position. And every year, he’s shown tangible improvement. Last year, in limited snaps, he played just as well as Bashaud Breeland, and one could argue he was better. If Dunbar stays on his current course, his combination of size, speed, and length gives him exciting potential as a boundary starter for the Washington Redskins. Possessing a long 6-foot-2 frame, 4.44 speed, immaculate looseness in his hips, and a high positional I.Q., Dunbar has the traits to be a high-end starter for the Washington Redskins. There’s a reason the team extended him earlier this offseason. He has the potential to be a star."
While I may not be quite as high on Dunbar as Ian is, I definitely can see him becoming a strong starter for the Redskins defense. He’s a really solid player who is still learning the corner position. He can be trusted as the No. 2 corner to start the season and if he struggles, the team can move him back to the backup role. But in terms of replacing Breeland, Dunbar should be at the worst a lateral move.
Dunbar still has a lot of upside. He’s young and has a good amount of experience. The former undrafted free agent should get a chance to work across Norman. The Redskins wouldn’t have given him a three-year contract extension if they didn’t think that was a strong possibility.