Redskins Training Camp Profile: S Troy Apke

Jacob Camenker

LANDOVER, MD - AUGUST 16: Defensive back Troy Apke #30 of the Washington Redskins celebrates with defensive tackle Ondre Pipkins #78 after intercepting a pass thrown by quarterback Sam Darnold #14 of the New York Jets (not pictured) in the first half of a preseason game at FedExField on August 16, 2018 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

Troy Apke‘s second season is a crucial one and he will have to prove himself during the Washington Redskins’ 2019 training camp.

The 2018 NFL Draft got off to a great start for the Washington Redskins. In the first round, they landed Daron Payne, a potential top-tier nose tackle who would plug one of their defense’s biggest holes over the course of the past decade.

One Day 2 of the draft, they landed Derrius Guice, who slipped in the draft despite being a potential late-first/early-second round prospect. They earned a third-round pick by trading down to get Guice and picked up Geron Christian, a tackle with high athletic upside who fit the draft range.

Ahead of their fourth-round pick on Day 3, there was some buzz growing about who they could take. Could they grab one of the offensive guards on the board to plug the hole they had at left guard? Or could they add a receiver like DaeSean Hamilton to improve their offense? The potential seemed endless and the team had many options.

Few thought Troy Apke would be one of them. But, he was. And he ended up being the pick.

Apke, a safety out of Penn State, was an elite athlete who had parlayed a 4.31 time in the 40-yard dash and flashes in offseason workouts into some potential late-round buzz. However, Apke was considered to be a reach by the team, easily their biggest of the draft.

Apke is only 14 months into his NFL career and the jury is still out on him. That said, after a disappointing rookie campaign, Apke is is facing a critical offseason and training camp that could determine whether or not his future is with the Redskins. Here’s his outlook ahead of their 2019 camp.

GLENDALE, AZ – SEPTEMBER 9: Wide receiver Christian Kirk #13 of the Arizona Cardinals is tackled by defensive back Troy Apke #30 of the Washington Redskins during the fourth quarter at State Farm Stadium on September 9, 2018 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images)

Apke’s 2018 season

There really weren’t many expectations for Apke entering his first year with the Redskins. In fact, that’s putting it lightly. Many viewed the fourth rounder’s first year as somewhat of a redshirt year where he could try to improve defensively while contributing on special teams.

Well, he did get a redshirt year. Just not in the way that many expected.

Apke missed all but two games in the 2018 season as he dealt with the lingering effects of a hamstring injury. He initially suffered the injury making a special teams tackle in his first game against the Arizona Cardinals. He eventually would go on IR which ended his first season.

All told, Apke only played in 22 total snaps during his rookie season. All came on special teams. While he did get a little bit of a look on defense in the preseason, it’s unclear whether or not he grew much, if at all, over the course of the year. If he spent most of his time rehabbing a hamstring injury — which tends to linger — that could have made his rookie campaign a lost season.

Even with the low expectations, Apke still managed to disappoint a bit. And now, heading into 2019 training camp, he really has to prove himself as his job may be on the line ahead of the 2019 season.

FOXBOROUGH, MA – AUGUST 9 : Ralph Webb #22 of the New England Patriots evades a tackle from Troy Apke #30 of the Washington Redskins for a two point conversion during the preseason game between the New England Patriots and the Washington Redskins at Gillette Stadium on August 9, 2018 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

What Apke must show at training camp

There were a lot of concerns with Apke coming out of the draft regarding his on-field play. That’s why many thought of him as a sixth- or seventh-round pick. He will need to do his best to show growth in those areas at training camp.

One of the biggest issues for Apke was his lack of instincts on the field. Routinely in college, he showed a penchant for taking poor angles and getting lost in coverage. At times, he made up for it with his athletic ability, but he got burned quite a bit. That continued during his preseason action.

In 2019, Apke has to make sure that he can improve his reaction time and take better angles to make plays on defense. It’s not necessarily about being perfect in coverage. It’s about showing growth.

Apke’s main competition

At the moment, it would appear that Apke is fighting for the fourth safety job on the roster. Landon Collins is obviously the top guy while Montae Nicholson seems likely to start across from him with Deshazor Everett backing him up. After that? One safety will probably make the team.

The two main names fighting for a spot on the active roster with Apke will be Jeremy Reaves and JoJo McIntosh. Reaves has earned the praise of Jay Gruden this offseason and the former undrafted free agent out of South Alabama who spent most of last year on the Redskins practice squad could have a chance to supplant Apke with a solid camp.

Our own Ian Cummings highlighted Reaves as one of the Redskins’ unheralded players, so click here for a further breakdown of Reaves.

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As for McIntosh, he was one of the team’s more intriguing undrafted free agents this season. McIntosh was a solid all-around safety at Washington and was a steady tackler, logging at least 50 stops in each of the past three seasons. If he can prove to be consistent and show good instincts, he may have a chance to overtake Apke.

There has been some chatter about cornerbacks potentially converting to the safety position as well. Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has a skill set a ball tracking abilities that could make him a solid fit at the position. Adonis Alexander played some of his best college football at the position as well. However, it doesn’t appear that the team is planning on moving those players and while they could be cross-trained in the event of injuries, the safeties on the roster will get more attention at the moment.

Apke’s competition isn’t necessarily steep, but the Redskins are weak at safety. And Apke is part of that weakness. If he gets outplayed by either Reaves or McIntosh, there’s a solid chance that he won’t make the roster and could be stashed on the practice squad.

2019 outlook for Apke

This is going to be a crucial year for Apke. He doesn’t necessarily need to make a giant leap this year and become a starter. But he has to show that he still has the upside and football instincts needed to be a potential role player at the very least.

Apke is still hyper-athletic. He still can be an elite special teams player and gunner. But if he can’t show enough as a pure football player, that could be a major red flag. Even though he was a fourth-round pick just 14 months ago, he is certainly fighting for his spot on the roster.

For the time being, Apke seems to be on the inside of the roster bubble. If there was another young player with his athletic upside on the team, that may not be the case. He is facing a couple of interesting roster candidates in Reaves and McIntosh, but given his draft status and his unique athletic ability, he would still hold a slight advantage over them.

Apke’s camp will certainly be one to watch. But one thing is certain. Few second-year fourth-round picks have lower expectations than Apke is facing. Perhaps that will work to his advantage and afford him a better opportunity to exceed those expectations and solidify his standing on the roster.

Still, there are no guarantees in the NFL. And Apke isn’t guaranteed a roster spot at all. Training camp will be his chance to show the Redskins brass that he is growing and has backup potential. If he can’t do that, then he could find himself among the final roster cuts in 2019.

Jacob Camenker