Washington Football Team: Five players to watch vs. Giants in Week 6
By Ian Cummings
No. 2 – LB Cole Holcomb
Since suffering an injury in Week 1, Cole Holcomb has been sidelined. But this week, he’s off the injury report, and it looks like he’ll not only play against the New York Giants, but also have an increased role right off the bat.
Holcomb was active at practice on Thursday, and reports made note of the fact that he was getting reps with the starting unit, replacing Jon Bostic on several series. It’s unclear if Holcomb will actually start, or if Ron Rivera was just rotating players, but Bostic’s performance in Week 5 gives reason to believe a change could be coming.
If a change does come, Holcomb is a player who can certainly provide a spark alongside Kevin Pierre-Louis. Many forget that Holcomb, who’s just 24 years old, started 15 of 16 games last season, and he’s also an elite athlete, with a 4.48 40-yard dash, a 6.77 three-cone time, a 39.5-inch vertical, and a 132-inch broad jump on record from his 2019 UNC Pro Day.
Holcomb has perhaps the most long-term potential and the highest upside among the Washington Football Team’s linebackers, so naturally, his performance against a mistake-prone Giants offense will be notable. Additionally, Evan Engram, while a competent athletic matchup, has struggled to separate himself this year, so that could be another opportunity for Holcomb to gain strong footing.