Khaleke Hudson may be a tweener for the NFL level, but here’s how he can help the Redskins.
In the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins made an intriguing pick by selecting Khaleke Hudson. The versatile player saw action all over the field for the Michigan Wolverines playing in the Viper role on their defense.
At Michigan, the Viper position involves playing safety, linebacker, and on the edge in the team’s defense. Michigan’s opponents never knew where Hudson was going to line up, and that created confusion, mismatches, and ultimately opportunities for Hudson to make plays.
And make plays he did.
During his career at Michigan, Hudson was a primary starter for three years. During those three seasons, he totaled 217 tackles, 22 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks, two interceptions, 13 pass defenses, and two forced fumbles. He came up with countless key plays as part of a Michigan defense that helped keep their squad in the College Football Playoff hunt over the course of the past few seasons.
Now, there are just a few questions with Hudson as he comes to the next level. What will his position be? Will that production translate? And what exactly will his role be on a Redskins team with a lot of options at linebacker? We take a look at Hudson’s ceiling and what he could do for the team in this in-depth scouting report.
Let’s dive right in.
What Khaleke Hudson does well
When watching Hudson play at Michigan, it’s clear that the team valued his versatility. While he primarily played the linebacker position, he also saw snaps at safety and was used frequently as an edge rusher. Hudson is probably a linebacker in the Redskins defense, but the lattermost position is actually where he made his biggest impact.
At the line of scrimmage, Hudson was able to quickly get into the backfield and make plays against opposing quarterbacks. He’s a tricky player for offensive linemen to block, as he is of smaller stature at 5-11, 224 pounds and he is pretty slippery in those scenarios. He’s quicker than the blockers expect, so he can beat them to their spots to make plays.
The same can be said of his effectiveness as a tackler. Hudson is able to find success coming downhill which affords him a chance to slip through gaps and impact the run game. He won’t be able to outmuscle many players at the NFL level, but if he can continue to be quick and elusive at the next level, he will get in the way of many north/south rushing attacks.
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Hudson is very physical when it comes to coverage. He may not be able to get away with that all the time at the next level, but he does find ways to disrupt opposing tight ends in man coverage during their routes. That’s likely to be his best cover ability, but his time as a safety gives him solid response time in zone coverage. So, he has upside as a cover player in general.
That said, Hudson’s biggest value will come in will be on special teams. He is excellent on punt units and has a knack for getting to the punter thanks to his quickness off the line and short, quick strides that cover ground and afford him the opportunity to change directions to avoid blockers.
Hudson was able to notch a whopping five punt blocks during his college career. If he can continue to block punts at the next level, he will be well worth a fifth-round selection. And his role as a core special teams player should see him active early and often during his NFL career.
There’s one word that can describe what Hudson may bring to the Redskins: havoc. That was the role of the Viper position in the Michigan defense, create havoc. And Hudson did it very well.
At one point during his college career in 2017, he played against the Minnesota Golden Gophers and posted one of the best single-game performances in college football history. He logged 13 tackles, 6.5 tackles for a loss, two sacks, and a forced fumble. That’s simply insane.
So, there are some serious positives with Hudson. But now, it’s time to delve into some of the negatives that could hinder his ability to see the field on defense.
What Hudson needs to improve
While Hudson’s versatility was nice for Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines, he fits into a dangerous category for the Redskins. He’s a positional tweener.
Hudson has the size of a safety at 5-11, 224 pounds. But his play speed is closer to that of a linebacker. If the roles were reversed and Hudson had a linebacker’s size and a safety’s athleticism, he’d be better off. But because of his lack of top-tier speed — though he is explosive — Hudson will have to make it work as a linebacker in Washington’s defense.
That could certainly work. And if they give him some packages where he plays as an edge rusher, he may be able to create plays. But his lacking size may make dealing with stronger blockers at the next level a little more problematic.
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There are times when Hudson is effectively neutralized by blockers when he can’t use his quickness to beat them. He also has trouble disengaging from blockers. That’s not his fault; he simply isn’t that big and can only carry a certain amount of strength on his frame. It’s unclear how much more he can bulk up at the NFL level without losing his explosiveness, so he may need to stay around the 224 mark.
Another concern with Hudson is his ability to tackle in space. When in traffic, he’s usually effective at wrapping up runners and dragging them down. He’s even good at dodging traffic to get there. But in space, he can get beaten with quick moves as he tends to be a bit overaggressive in his angling. He’ll need to be a bit more disciplined in that area to avoid missing tackles at the next level.
It’s also worth noting that Hudson’s lacking length could affect his ability in coverage. Quarterbacks may be able to throw over him if he ends up guarding bigger tight ends in man or the middle of the field in zone. So, he may be used more against the run or as a pass rusher in special packages to maximize his abilities in that area.
Hudson has some areas to work on, but not all can be helped. It will be interesting to see how Ron Rivera can help bring him along in the areas he can improve in and if a guy like Thomas Davis can serve as a mentor to him.
How Hudson fits with the Redskins
Hudson’s best role as a rookie with the Redskins will probably be as a core special teams player. He could factor into the linebacker battle, but in a crowded room, it’s tough to know who will emerge.
There are a lot of options for the Redskins to consider in the linebacker corps. Thomas Davis and Jon Bostic are two veteran options for the squad. Cole Holcomb and Shaun Dion Hamilton are in their second and third seasons respectively and while both have upside, they are also unproven.
Kevin Pierre-Louis was signed in free agency after an impressive season as a spot starter and special teams player with the Chicago Bears. And while Ryan Anderson and Nate Orchard are better served as rush linebackers in a 3-4 scheme, they could challenge for playing time at the SAM linebacker position… if Jack Del Rio doesn’t have them compete in more of an edge rushing role.
This doesn’t even factor in Reuben Foster (injured but could return at some point in 2020), Josh Harvey-Clemons, and Jared Norris. There are no shortage of options for the team.
Right now, I think that Bostic and Davis should be favored as starters at the MIKE and WILL positions respectively. The SAM spot is up for grabs, but Holcomb or Hamilton should be on the field to start the season. From there, it’s all about earning a backup job.
If I were Rivera and Del Rio, I would have Hudson active on game days and treat him as a backup SAM linebacker. He may not be the top option off the bench, but given that the SAM plays closer to the line of scrimmage and has more pass rushing opportunities, that figures to be his best position at the next level. He doesn’t have the requisite size for that position, but he does have the skills needed to make an impact.
At the end of the day, I think Hudson mostly plays special teams and sees sparing action on defense if all goes right in 2020. Maybe in the future, he will have an impact on the defense. But he needs a bit more time to develop at linebacker after playing a plethora of roles during his time at Michigan.
No matter how you look at it, though, Hudson is a quality pickup. He’ll upgrade special teams, bare minimum. And he has the upside needed to eventually factor into the linebacking corps. It’s just about improving in his weaker areas, challenging some of the veterans, and figuring out exactly how he fits in.
Perhaps by 2021, Hudson will be in the mix for a starting job, especially considering that Davis and Pierre-Louis are free agents after this season. But for now, a backup role seems to suit him best.