Redskins: With Shaun Dion Hamilton, plans might not have to change

Redskins LB Hamilton’s progress in the 2019 offseason

Shaun Dion Hamilton was a starter as early as his sophomore year with the Crimson Tide, and the same could be true for his time with the Redskins. Hamilton played in all sixteen games in his rookie season, and he started four games down the stretch, amassing 27 total tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. He only started logging snaps on the defense in Week 12, however, and most of his production came then.

There were good moments, and there were bad moments. From Week 12 to Week 16, Hamilton logged a Pro Football Focus grade above 60.0 in every game, and in three of those games, he graded out above 70.0. His best game came against Jacksonville, where he logged a grade of 85.6, and the first sack of his 2018 campaign.

Hamilton’s lowest moment was in Week 17, when he allowed five catches on five targets. At that point, however, the team had largely checked out, and Hamilton was not immune to the team’s crumbling state. He also may have never been completely healed from his broken kneecap. He’d said he was fifty-five percent healthy at the NFL Combine, and lingering effects may have sapped his speed, as the season went on.

The season ended on a rough note for Hamilton, but he’d shown promise in 2018, making an impact in many different ways. He flashed his physical traits on more than one occasion, and, most importantly, he remained healthy. Now, in 2019, he has a whole offseason to prepare with good health, and so far, reviews have been glowing.

Recently, an unprompted Jay Gruden named Hamilton as one of the Redskins most improved players in offseason workouts. In a press conference, per AL.com’s Mark Inabinett, Gruden had this to say about Hamilton:

"When I look at the tape, Shaun Dion has showed up more so than any time I’ve seen Shaun Dion. He’s healthy. He’s running faster — way faster now than he was at this time last year. He looks fast. He looks instinctive. He’s what we thought we could get when we drafted him from Alabama, so he’s set."

In that same article, Mason Foster spoke about Hamilton’s work ethic and diligent film work, and discussed “big things ahead” for Hamilton. Hamilton himself also spoke, and said that a year of learning the system and learning how to take care of one’s body had helped him to make the necessary changes to improve, and potentially maximize his upside.

The team clearly knew the risk in using a draft pick on Hamilton, an unstable asset. They knew that if Hamilton could stay healthy, he could be an asset for the team. Now, heading into his second season, he’s already in line to be a starter, and in 2019, he could set himself apart from the rest of the group.