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Breaking down the Redskins inside linebacker depth chart for 2019

By Jacob Camenker

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 28: Josh Harvey-Clemons #40 of the Washington Football Team is congratulated by teammate Josh Norman #24 after a stop in the second half against the New York Giants on October 28,2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - OCTOBER 28: Josh Harvey-Clemons #40 of the Washington Football Team is congratulated by teammate Josh Norman #24 after a stop in the second half against the New York Giants on October 28,2018 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 30: Dallas Goedert #88 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball against the Washington Redskins during the first half at FedExField on December 30, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD – DECEMBER 30: Dallas Goedert #88 of the Philadelphia Eagles runs with the ball against the Washington Redskins during the first half at FedExField on December 30, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /

Starters: Jon Bostic and Shaun Dion Hamilton

This may be a surprise to some considering that Bostic was signed off the street following Reuben Foster’s injury. However, he has a lot of upside and has experience as a starter. So he could emerge as the top candidate to start this year.

Bostic has been off and on NFL rosters since being drafted by the Bears, and the Redskins represent his sixth team in the past five seasons. However, in recent years, Bostic has emerged as a quality starter. In 30 games (28 starts) over the course of the past two seasons with the Colts and Steelers, Bostic has generated 103 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Those are solid numbers, and his performance on the field backed them up.

Last season with the Steelers, Bostic played fairly well against the run in a downhill role as a tackler. He’s not as good in pass coverage, but he does have the athletic ability needed to make some plays in that role. He is a slightly younger and better version of Mason Foster and after performing well in minicamp, he could have a chance to emerge as the team’s new top linebacker.

Elsewhere, Hamilton started the final four games of last season in place of Zach Brown. At the time, Brown wasn’t performing quite up to snuff in pass coverage and he saw the writing on the wall when the Redskins inserted Hamilton into the lineup. Clearly, they wanted a chance to look at the former sixth-round pick from Alabama.

Must Read. Why Shaun Dion Hamilton's presence is crucial for Washington. light

Hamilton is a cerebral player whose intelligence has been praised by numerous coaches throughout his career. He has a very well-rounded skill set and the upside to be a true three-down player. He will still need to grow a bit before he reaches that point, but it certainly looks like he’ll have the first crack at the starting job this season.

If Hamilton can make the leap, expect the Redskins coaching staff to give him increased responsibilities. There’s a chance he could be the team’s top linebacker this season, and it will be interesting to see if he is ready to take on a bigger role in the defense.

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