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Redskins Training Camp Profile: EDGE Pernell McPhee

By Jacob Camenker

CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 27: Pernell McPhee #92 of the Chicago Bears grabs onto Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans in the third quarter at Soldier Field on November 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - NOVEMBER 27: Pernell McPhee #92 of the Chicago Bears grabs onto Derrick Henry #22 of the Tennessee Titans in the third quarter at Soldier Field on November 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 23: Kenjon Barner #38 of the Philadelphia Eagles returns a kick-return against the Washington Redskins during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – OCTOBER 23: Kenjon Barner #38 of the Philadelphia Eagles returns a kick-return against the Washington Redskins during the first quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field on October 23, 2017 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

McPhee’s main competition

McPhee was brought to the Redskins to serve as a situational pass rusher in the mold of Galette. He’s unlikely to usurp a starting position from the indestructible Ryan Kerrigan or the hyper-athletic Preston Smith. His main goal is to stave off competition from other players.

The biggest name that the Redskins have to challenge McPhee is Ryan Anderson. The former Alabama product was a second-round pick by the Redskins in the 2017 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he served as the fourth edge option for the team and played sparingly on defense, logging just 17.6 percent of snaps on that side of the ball.

Still, Anderson is a similar type of player to McPhee. He relies on physicality and motor as opposed to speed off the edge to compete with opposing tackles. If he shows enough improvement, that could make it difficult for McPhee to earn more snaps than him, especially since the Redskins have invested more in Anderson.

More from Commanders News

If you’re looking for a potential sleeper at the EDGE/OLB position, Alex McCalister is a guy to watch. He was a seventh-round pick by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2016 who hasn’t been able to stay healthy during his NFL career. Still, McCalister has a lanky 6-foot-6 frame and very good athleticism. Thus, there is a chance that he could emerge as a contributor, provided that he can stay healthy.

It is worth noting that McCalister is listed as a defensive end by some projected depth charts, but his frame and weight (240 pounds) makes him a better fit for the rush linebacker position in a base 3-4 defense (though he would probably play defensive end in 4-3 concepts).

The competition for McPhee essentially involves deep sleepers. It’s going to be difficult for them to both beat McPhee and knock him off the roster. That said, McPhee can’t write them off as he looks to battle for the No. 3 rush linebacker job.

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