Washington Redskins Training Camp Profile: ILB Jon Bostic

Bostic’s 2018 season

To summate his entire career, you could say that Bostic is a decent spot-starter. That was the case with the Bears, when he was drafted in the second round a few years ago, and that was the case with the Steelers in 2018.

Bostic was signed and deployed to help Pittsburgh withstand the loss of Ryan Shazier. Of course, the act didn’t hold up, as Bostic did not resemble Shazier on the field. Statistically, he put up some redeemable numbers, amassing 73 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three pass deflections, and four quarterback hits.

Stats, however, can be misleading. While Bostic achieved those numbers due to volume, he showed below-average instincts up the middle of the field, and in coverage, he was largely ineffective. He allowed 30 catches on 37 targets, letting by 331 offensive yards and two touchdowns, per Pro Football Focus. Through a sixteen game slate, those numbers are less overwhelming, but Bostic’s snap counts declined sharply after Week 12 against Denver, his worst-graded game of the year.

Bostic was a rotational player after the Denver game, and the Steelers cut him in favor of $2.5 million cap savings in April, shortly after picking Devin Bush with the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft. It didn’t take long for Bostic to get his next chance with the Redskins, but had Reuben Foster not gotten injured, Bostic might still be unemployed today.