Redskins LB Cole Holcomb ready to emerge in new environment

He was surprisingly impactful as a rookie, and now, Redskins second-year linebacker Cole Holcomb is in position to emerge, with his environment slowly growing more conducive to success.

One could say that Cole Holcomb‘s rookie season was an emergence in and of itself, to a degree. The Washington Redskins previously obscure fifth-round pick from North Carolina amassed 105 total tackles, six tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, three forced fumbles, and a pass deflection, while starting fifteen of a possible sixteen games.

Holcomb certainly could have been more consistent, especially in pass defense, but for a Day 3 selection in his first NFL season, amidst dysfunctional circumstances, it was a very positive start, and in 2020, Holcomb could be due to experience yet another dramatic leap.

Holcomb has always had the physical talent; at his North Carolina pro day ahead of the 2019 NFL Draft, Holcomb put up elite athletic numbers, logging a 4.48 40-yard dash, a 132-inch broad jump, a 39.5-inch vertical, jump, and 22 bench reps.

The 6-foot-1, 225-pound linebacker also checked the production box out of college. In four years with the Tar Heels, Holcomb managed to accumulate 327 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 12 pass deflections, and four forced fumbles, all in his final season. Holcomb was a prospect with all the traits, but he had yet to put it together. His strong debut season was a step in the right direction, and now, the pieces are coming in place around him, to help catalyze his development.

According to Redskins.com writer Zach Selby, Holcomb has quickly grown comfortable with his new coaches and mentors, and has started the process of learning all he can from his support group. Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio are both former linebackers who have a wealth of knowledge, and Thomas Davis is a fourteen-year pro who was an All-Pro for the Panthers in 2015.

Holcomb has long been familiar with Rivera, as well as Rivera’s former prized linebacker Luke Kuechly. Coming up through the ranks in the Carolinas, Holcomb watched plenty of Kuechly tape, per Selby. Now, with Kuechly’s old coach serving as his teacher, Holcomb sees new things in old film.

“Having [Rivera] explain what he’s looking at, what he’s going through, you can only guess when you’re just watching the film,” Holcomb said in Selby’s article. “Having a coach there who has been with him, and then he can actually explain what they’re doing and it makes sense. It’s nice being able to see that.”

Having coaches who can properly contextualize information is an invaluable resource, especially for young players, and even though Holcomb has only been able to enjoy the teachings of Rivera and Del Rio through Zoom meetings, he’s quickly grown thankful of the change of pace they’re bringing.

“The thing I love about these coaches is the attention to detail,” Holcomb continued in Selby’s article. “They go through tremendous lengths of being able to explain it and make it understandable for everybody. We can eliminate those grey areas through that.”

Onlookers heavily anticipate the impact that Rivera and Del Rio will have on the Redskins defense as a whole, especially considering the additions of big-time players such as cornerback Kendall Fuller and edge rusher Chase Young. But the linebacking core might be the area demanding the most attention. Taking into account the positional experience of the coaches, as well as the potential of Holcomb himself, the sky may truly be the limit in the middle level.