Top five safeties for Redskins to target in 2020 free agency

DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 3: Justin Simmons #31 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a defensive stop against the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter of a game at Empower Field at Mile High on November 3, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images)
DENVER, CO - NOVEMBER 3: Justin Simmons #31 of the Denver Broncos celebrates a defensive stop against the Cleveland Browns in the fourth quarter of a game at Empower Field at Mile High on November 3, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Getty Images) /
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SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 11: Jimmie Ward #20 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a play against the Minnesota Vikings during the NFC Divisional Round Playoff game at Levi’s Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 11: Jimmie Ward #20 of the San Francisco 49ers reacts after a play against the Minnesota Vikings during the NFC Divisional Round Playoff game at Levi’s Stadium on January 11, 2020 in Santa Clara, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) /

42. . Safety. San Francisco 49ers. Jimmie Ward. 5. player

One of the safeties on the open market with the most upside is Jimmie Ward. The former first-round pick out of Northern Illinois has turned into an excellent starter and has the skill set needed to make a difference as a starter.

Ward is versatile. He can play almost any position in the defensive backfield. He’s coming off a trip to the Super Bowl, too, so he can bring a winning mentality to the clubhouse he joins this offseason.

In 2019, Ward had one of his best seasons. He had 60 tackles, eight pass defenses, and a sack for the 49ers. He didn’t create any turnovers, but he was able to help keep his secondary intact throughout most of the Niners games. And that’s why the team had one of the best defenses in the league last season.

That said, there are some concerns with Ward that knock him down to the No. 5 spot on this list. While Ward is talented, he’s simply too injury prone to trust. Ward has only played in all 16 games once in his career, and that came back in 2016. In the past three years combined, he has missed 19 games. That could be problematic for a team like the Redskins, who have dealt with far too many injuries over the course of the past three seasons.

Still, Ward has talent. And if the Redskins can get him cheap enough, they should at least consider him as an option to improve their secondary and slot corner play. He may not be as reliable as the other options on here, but Ward deserves consideration in free agency nonetheless.