Washington Redskins special teams grades for the 2018 campaign
Dustin Hopkins
In 2017, there were cries from some to move on from Dustin Hopkins. He missed half of that season with an injury, and his replacement Nick Rose proved to be solid for the Redskins. However, the team stuck with Hopkins and didn’t bring in any competition for him in 2018. That move paid off.
Hopkins rewarded the Redskins with the best season of his career. He made nearly 90 percent of his field goals and only missed one extra point. In total, he didn’t miss a field goal from inside of 40 yards but also proved that his leg strength and accuracy from deep was improving.
Coming into the 2018 season, Hopkins’ biggest weakness was his ability from 50-plus yards. In four season as the Redskins primary place kicker, Hopkins had only gone 5-for-13 from that range. In 2018, that drastically improved.
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Hopkins attempted five kicks from beyond 50 yards last season. He made four of them. He demonstrated much better accuracy and has clearly learned how to control his kicks while still getting enough on them to make them. In short, he has improved his range which makes him more of a viable option for the NFL.
Hopkins won’t turn 29 until October, so there’s a chance that he could continue to kick for Washington long-term. Kicker was once thought to be a weakness for the squad, but if Hopkins proves that his performance last year wasn’t a fluke, he will solidify this spot on the depth chart.
For the first time in awhile, the Redskins have hope at kicker. For that reason, Hopkins deserves a high mark, and he will squeak out a grade in the A-range.