The Redskins were supposed to have a defense laden with the best talents of the best collegiate juggernaut in 2019. Then Reuben Foster went down, and their plans changed.
But not as much as you’d think.
The Washington Redskins undoubtedly lost a key asset when Reuben Foster tore his ACL on the first day of organized team activities. Foster, an active tackler and able cover man with a first-round pedigree and exciting athletic potential, was expected to be one of Washington’s best defensive players. Now, he’ll have to wait another year to mount a comeback campaign.
And the Redskins will have to turn to someone else.
The Redskins weren’t idle after Foster went down. They signed Steelers and Colts castoff Jon Bostic to provide depth and potentially start, and Mason Foster is a returning starter, although his inclusion in the lineup doesn’t command much confidence.
More likely than not, the Redskins will need another linebacker to rise to the occasion and help ensure that their plans for dominance on defense aren’t unhinged. Luckily for them, they just might have a guy. And they can stick to the Crimson Tide theme. Here’s why Shaun Dion Hamilton, heading into his second year, is ready to show the league his true value.
Traits displayed in college by Redskins LB Shaun Dion Hamilton
Shaun Dion Hamilton‘s sixth-round status doesn’t look good on the surface, but there’s a reason he went so late, and it doesn’t have to do with his play. Hamilton suffered two severe injuries, both in his right knee, in 2016 and 2017. First, he tore his ACL in the 2016 SEC Championship, and then, in 2017, his season ended early when he broke his kneecap.
Hamilton’s injuries prevented him from putting up any NFL Combine numbers, and the frequency of the injuries cast doubt on his ability to stay healthy. It’s because of these injuries that Hamilton went so late. Had they not occurred, there’s no telling how far his stock could have risen. At 6-foot-0, 235, Hamilton has the stocky build to maintain a degree of durability in the NFL. But freak knee injuries can still occur, and so there’s at least an air of trepidation surrounding Hamilton’s history.
One thing is for certain; if Hamilton hadn’t been injured, he’d have had more time to make his presence felt in the middle of the Alabama defense, and he also would have been able to quantify his athletic traits for teams at the NFL Combine. Those two factors surely would have buoyed his stock. Now, the Redskins will have to guess, as to what Hamilton’s athletic ceiling is. But I’ll tell you this: He’s got the physical traits.
More from Riggo's Rag
- What will Emmanuel Forbes bring to the Washington Commanders?
- Highlighting the best Commanders 2023 NFL Draft betting props
- 3 late Commanders rumors drawing buzz ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft
- 4 bold predictions for the Commanders 2023 NFL Draft
- Commanders News: Chase Young trade, draft day, CB riser and Sam Howell
Watching the limited tape there is on Hamilton, he clearly has the speed to cover from sideline to sideline, and while he’s not blazing fast like Devin Bush, he’s more than competent in that area. He’s rarely turned around for simply being slow; sometimes, his tackling angles can be inconsistent, but he improved in that area from 2015 to 2017. Hamilton’s speed, on tape, looks to be in the 4.5-4.6 range. When he has time to build up momentum, he can be dangerous. When blitzing, he’s especially disruptive, able to quickly hone in on his target and diagnose the best angle, with searing quickness.
Hamilton also has the acceleration and closing speed to pair with his range, and this helps him in the short range, against check down routes. The Redskins know this to be of great importance to them, as their linebackers too often gave up yards up the middle of the field last season. Hamilton has the physical traits, and the ability to read the quarterback’s eyes in coverage, which bodes well for him in an increased role.
Hamilton’s physical traits also allow him to track the ball carrier in pursuit in the backfield, and his closing speed supplements his tackling ability. He’s a sure tackler, who knows how to grapple the carrier to ensure the takedown. He’s adept at squaring his shoulders and using his lateral quickness to make adjustments with his tackling angle, and this is something he showed progress with over the course of his career.
That said, Hamilton isn’t perfect. He can get caught in the lurch by double moves, and he can also be too easily redirected by blocks; although his overall physicality and play strength was at its best in the 2017 film, he still gave up too much ground to blocks on run plays. That said, Hamilton is a player who’s trending up. His developmental curve isn’t perfectly linear, but when he’s healthy, his traits flash easily.
It’s exciting when Hamilton’s physical traits flash, because he’s already a very smart player. Per SB Nation’s Alex Kirshner, the coaches at Alabama trusted Hamilton to receive calls from the sideline and align the defense accordingly. He was the defense’s leader, and his mental prowess shows up on tape. While there are hiccups, as there always are with young players, he’s very quick to diagnose momentum shifts in a play, and this allows him to quickly flip his hips and start pursuit. He’s a team player who always displays very solid communication skills and effort on the field, and if he can stay healthy in the NFL, he can easily exceed his draft status.
Tape Watched
Shaun Dion Hamilton vs. Michigan State (2015)
Shaun Dion Hamilton vs. USC (2016)
Shaun Dion Hamilton vs. Florida State (2017)
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.
What to expect from Redskins LB Shaun Dion Hamilton
Any expectations for Shaun Dion Hamilton are contingent on his continued good health. For now, Hamilton has managed to keep himself on the field, and as a result, coaches and players alike have seen his potential. Gruden himself conceded that there’s still too much time left to tell what decisions are ultimately made, but it appears as if Hamilton is the front runner to fill Reuben Foster’s role at inside linebacker.
At 23 years old, Hamilton is still young, and growing pains should still be expected no matter what role he takes on for the Redskins defense. But of all the team’s linebackers, he appears to have the best starting profile. He’s faster than both Jon Bostic and Mason Foster, and he has more experience with the team’s scheme than Bostic. He’s better in coverage than Foster, and he’s only getting better.
The Redskins planned on starting a young Alabama product with high potential at linebacker in 2019, and with Shaun Dion Hamilton, those plans don’t have to change. Hamilton has the combination of athleticism, instinct, play strength, and mental quickness to be a very solid starter at the NFL level. Health will always be a prerequisite for Hamilton, but so long as he can stay on the field, he can show the Redskins why they were right to take a risk on him.