Washington Football Team: Five observations at the halfway point
2. This defense still needs a few pieces to be elite
We have reached the end of the positives for the Washington Football Team. At 2-6, there still are holes the Washington Football Teams shows. Despite the defense already being good, it shows holes that need to be filled to be elite.
The position that stands out the most as a position of need, is linebacker. Cole Holcomb has shown promise as a potential solid player. However, the rest have been very inconsistent or downright poor.
Kevin Pierre-Louis is fast with good range, but he is far too inconsistent in coverage and filling run gaps. Jon Bostic hasn’t played well this year and Shaun Dion Hamilton continues to get less and less playing time. The linebacker position will need to be addressed in the offseason.
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The corners have been solid. Kendall Fuller is playing like one of the best corners in the NFL. Jimmy Moreland is growing into a solid nickel corner and Ronald Darby is playing solid as well. They could still use a true lockdown corner but it is not a pressing need.
The next and final gaping hole, the defense has, is a true cover safety. Deshazor Everett brings elite physicality, Landon Collins is a good read and react box safety, and rookie Kamren Curl shows potential. However, none of them show much upside in coverage. It is something that consistently holds the defense back. Tight ends continually gash this defense. A cover safety could help solve this persistent problem, so Washington needs one.
While the defensive line and the corners are performing well, the defense still has holes to fill. If the team fills these holes on defense, they could be well on their way to an elite defense.