Not that long ago, the Washington Redskins were considered by many football insiders to be a very old and not very athletic team. But the overhaul that general manager Scot McCloughan has accomplished has been remarkable. Over the last two years he has transformed the Redskins into a formidable NFC playoff team with a huge upside led by several talented young players.
There are quite a few of these men here and there on the roster but five in particular that have a chance to be Pro Bowl-caliber players if a few things break their way.
Compton has really put one-half of the team’s middle linebacker position in a strangle hold. His awareness on the field makes up for any shortcoming he may have in size and athleticism. The former Nebraska Cornhusker is a tackle machine and student of the game with a huge upside.
Breeland may be known for locking up Dallas Cowboys wide out Dez Bryant two seasons ago but fans need to understand that he possesses elite skills at the position.
With the signing of All-Pro corner Josh Norman, Breeland should get more opportunities to show his worth as one of the game’s best young cover guys.
The team’s No. 1 draft pick in 2015, Scherff quietly had a strong season justifying his draft status. All-Pro left tackle Trent Williams has said that he thought Scherff had a Pro Bowl caliber rookie season.
If he continues to improve, he has a chance to be a longtime Pro Bowler for the Burgundy and Gold.
The former Duke Blue Devil may be the team’s most dynamic and talented receiver overall.
This is not a lofty statement considering that as a rookie — with Pro Bowl receiver DeSean Jackson on one side of the field and franchise-single-season-receptions-record-holder Pierre Garçon on the other — Crowder more than held his own.
He finished the season with 59 receptions and has become a deadly slot receiver with his shiftiness and sure hands.
Crowder is a player that can go up and get balls out of the air or make the tough diving catch. His upside has Pro Bowl written all over it.
The most impressive player coming out team OTA’s and minicamp was Smith.
He was disruptive to the offense’s passing game during drills, showing supreme quickness off the edge as well as the ability to cover down the field. This is not normal for a man of his size. These are things he was beginning to display at the end of the 2015 season. The good news is that this offseason, the second-year player out of Mississippi State got even stronger.
The sky is the limit for Smith and he has the potential to be one of the game’s elite defensive players for a long time.
With another yet again season ending achilles injury to linebacker Junior Galette, Smith will now get more reps to show his true value.