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Redskins Roster Projection: Team loads up in the trenches

By Jacob Camenker

ORCHARD PARK, NY - NOVEMBER 03: Chase Roullier #73 of the Washington football team waits to snap the ball against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on November 3, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo beats Washington 24 to 9. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
ORCHARD PARK, NY - NOVEMBER 03: Chase Roullier #73 of the Washington football team waits to snap the ball against the Buffalo Bills at New Era Field on November 3, 2019 in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo beats Washington 24 to 9. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images) /
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JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 16: Cody Kessler #6 of the Jacksonville Jaguars is sacked by Ryan Kerrigan #91 of the Washington Redskins during the game at TIAA Bank Field on December 16, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA – DECEMBER 16: Cody Kessler #6 of the Jacksonville Jaguars is sacked by Ryan Kerrigan #91 of the Washington Redskins during the game at TIAA Bank Field on December 16, 2018 in Jacksonville, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images) /

Edge Rusher (4)

Chase Young, Ryan Kerrigan, Montez Sweat, Ryan Bee

The Redskins have one of the best defensive line groups in the league and that includes their deep edge rush crew. And the top three on this portion of the depth chart are roster locks.

The addition of Chase Young significantly strengthens the Redskins on the outside. Young is a well-polished player with great athleticism, speed off the edge, hand usage, strength, and get off. He has just about every tool in the bag and should have a shot at winning Defensive Rookie of the Year if he can put a lot of pressure on passers.

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Across from Young will be Sweat, a recent first-round pick from 2019. Sweat started a bit slowly as a rookie but turned it on as he got acclimated to the NFL. He totaled seven sacks and was great in run support, notching 50 total tackles. He’s an athletic freak and since he’s a better fit in the team’s new 4-3 defense, he could have an even bigger year.

As for Kerrigan, he’ll turn 32 in August, but he has averaged 10 sacks per year throughout his nine-year career. He also played in 139 straight games and only missed his first action last year after suffering a concussion, so he can be relied on as a key rotational player up front. He may start, but all three edge players will be rotated to keep each player fresh.

The fourth player included in this roster projection, Ryan Bee, is a bit more of a Wild Card. The 2019 undrafted free agent out of Marshall has great size (6-7) and was consistently productive in college. He’s a hybrid edge/interior defensive line player in the team’s new 4-3 defense but if he can impress Rivera and Del Rio, they’ll have to find a spot for him. And keeping around extra, experienced defensive linemen is never a bad thing, especially when they have Bee’s frame.

Maybe Jordan Brailford or James Smith-Williams will get the nod over Bee, but keeping extra players on the defensive line seems like a possibility. The ‘Skins have a lot of talent there, but with some key players set to hit free agency shortly, it wouldn’t be a bad thing to invest in some young talent.

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