Redskins roster bubble stock report: Undrafted rookies making their case

Other players to watch on defense

Redskins EDGE Cassanova McKinzy: I’d been pouring cold water on the hype around McKinzy’s athleticism all offseason, because frankly, I didn’t see it. People blew a rep in 2018 out of proportion, pointing out McKinzy’s bend when, in reality, he just fell on the ground. But against Cincinnati, McKinzy may have proved me wrong. He demanded a ton of attention on the edge, and put to use a brisk spin move on one occasion. The coaching staff seems to have a lot of confidence in McKinzy, and he may already have the No. 4 edge spot locked up.

Redskins EDGE Montez Sweat: Sweat didn’t fill up the stat sheets like many wanted him to, but he still had a decent showing on Thursday night. He showed his speed off the edge on numerous occasions, and almost made a play on the quarterback on one snap. He was routed around the rear of the pocket, and with an outstretched arm, he almost forced a strip sack. Sweat still needs to work on his counters, but the traits are very clearly there.

Redskins ILBs: The Redskins actually look like they could have a decent inside linebacker duo, if everything goes right. Jon Bostic clearly isn’t great in coverage, which was to be expected, but he’s serviceable in run defense. Josh Harvey-Clemons, meanwhile, compensates for Bostic very well in that regard. Harvey-Clemons was a homing missile on Thursday night, showing off his range and tackling ability. At 6-foot-4, Harvey-Clemons has finally added muscle weight, and he looks like he could be a three-down linebacker. Once Shaun Dion Hamilton gets healthy again, the team will have a tough decision to make, as to who starts.

Redskins CB Jimmy Moreland: Jimmy Moreland wasn’t as active on the ball against the Bengals, much to the chagrin of fans who betted on him having the over on five interceptions. But a different aspect of his game stood out: Tackling. With his small frame, tackling had been a problem at times in college. But Moreland didn’t have any trouble on Thursday night; he brought aggression with every hit, and he fundamentals were solid. It’s promising to see growth from Moreland early.

Redskins S Montae Nicholson and Landon Collins: We haven’t seen much of this duo yet, but we got a glimpse of the unit’s potential on Thursday. Landon Collins was a thumper at the line of scrimmage, and Montae Nicholson showed awareness and range in the secondary, picking off a deflected pass and taking it to the house in the first quarter. The Redskins secondary is somewhat unproven, but there’s exciting potential waiting to be realized.

That concludes our preseason Week 2 roster bubble stock report. Stick with us here at Riggo’s Rag for updates, analysis, Trey Quinn cult fandom, and pre-game content for the coming Week 3 matchup between the Washington Redskins and the Atlanta Falcons.