Washington Football Team: Five biggest studs from the 2020 season
2. The entire defensive line
In truth, this entire piece could’ve just been about each of the amazing players along the defensive line. The unit has been a massive strength for the Washington Football Team and is the brightest spot for them as they continue to build one of the NFL’s better defenses.
Granted, it should be that good considering that they have five former first-round picks up front, but nonetheless, everything came together so well this year.
Under defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, the defense shifted to a 4-3 scheme that saw them use four down linemen on almost all of their snaps. The results were terrific, and the team was able to notch the sixth-most sacks on the season while also being a force against the run.
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Newcomer Chase Young was a standout for the unit, especially in the latter half of the year. The shoo-in Defensive Rookie of the Year used his insane athletic ability, strength, and arsenal of pro-ready pass rush moves to dominate at the point of attack. He has more speed than any 6-foot-5, 264-pound player should and his quickness and reaction time are off the chart as well.
Young managed 7.5 sacks on the year along with four pass defenses, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and a defensive touchdown. He was every bit as good as those numbers indicate and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie because of his efforts.
Montez Sweat played similarly excellent to Young. The second-year player flew under the radar at times because of Young, but he also used his crazy athleticism to become a force on the outside. Sweat led the team in sacks (9) while posting two forced fumbles and a whopping six pass defenses thanks to his long arms. He and Young wreaked havoc on tackles this year and both should only get better as their careers progress.
On the interior, Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne teamed up well with Sweat and Young to stuff the run and generate pressure. Payne managed a well-rounded 54 tackles, three sacks, three forced fumbles, four pass defenses, and his first career interception and particularly seemed to find success when Sweat played well.
Meanwhile, Allen continued to be a leader on the defense and though his pass-rush production was down this year, he played a key role in opening up lanes for the other three behemoths to get into the backfield.
Beyond the starters, Tim Settle and Ryan Kerrigan were, arguably, the best backups on the defensive line league-wide. And the team found success despite Matt Ioannidis tearing his biceps very early in the season.
This unit is deep and talented, and it should be one of the best for Washington moving forward. To say they were a bright spot may well be an understatement. They could be one of the best position groups in the NFL and in 2021, they may be able to establish themselves as the best overall. They are a huge part of why this team made the playoffs and while they didn’t quite deliver what many had hoped against the Bucs, that should only make them hungrier going forward.