Breaking down the Redskins cornerback depth chart for 2019
By Ian Cummings
Redskins 2019 starters
Quinton Dunbar, Josh Norman, Fabian Moreau
The Redskins fielded this same group of starters last season, and it’s likely that they stick with these three to kick off the 2019 campaign. There are some players below the top trio who could command more snaps, but Quinton Dunbar, Josh Norman, and Fabian Moreau are the ones in the starting lineup.
Of those players, Dunbar may be the best of the bunch. In 2018, his first season as a full-time starter, he was only able to play in seven games (including one where he was battling a nerve injury and was clearly hobbled). However, Dunbar produced at a high clip, logging two interceptions and nine pass deflections, on pace for four interceptions and 18 deflections, respectively. With an enticing combination of speed, length, and mental acuity, Dunbar, who turns 27 this month, could be in line for a breakout year.
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Behind Dunbar, Josh Norman provides some supplemental experience. He’s been the Redskins starting cornerback since 2016, when he first signed his five-year, $75 million deal. He hasn’t mounted an All-Pro or Pro Bowl berth since his monumental 2015 season with Carolina, but he has been a quality starter for Washington. He’s slowly regressed over time, but even in 2018, at age 31, he was able to make plays on the ball, amassing three interceptions, five pass deflections, and three forced fumbles.
In coverage, Norman has proven inconsistent at times, and as he grows older, that likely won’t get any better. But even in his aging state, he has some utility as an experienced veteran who can generate turnovers. He doesn’t quite live up to his contract, but for the Redskins, he still might be too valuable to cut, if they don’t want Jimmy Moreland in the starting lineup just yet. Norman’s not a liability, and his savvy still wins out when speed cannot.
Of course, the biggest reason Moreland won’t sniff the starting lineup is Fabian Moreau, the team’s current slot cornerback. Moreau is a very solid height-weight-speed prospect who’s steadily improved over the course of his two-year career. In 2019, he’s still ascending, and he’s a breakout candidate alongside Dunbar. He showed great strides last season, displaying tenacity in the slot, and in 2019, he has the chance to add to that, with his athletic potential.