Washington Redskins: Power Ranking Their 5 Strongest Positions

2012 was a good year for the Washington Redskins. 

They finally found a franchise quarterback, a late-round running back gem and won their division. 

Over the past five years or so, the Redskins have slowly but surely added several talented players. Whether it was drafting Brian Orakpo or signing London Fletcher in free agency, they have certainly solidified their roster in a pretty complete way. 

They have one of the greatest offensive players in the league in RG3 and have a fierce pass rush behind their front seven. 

Wide receiver was also a pretty surprising strength in 2012 as veterans and young guys alike made plays on offense. 

They have finally filled out every position on their roster with at least some solid talent and have found themselves in a pretty favorable situation heading into the 2013 season. 

Kicker

Notable Players’ Stats:

17/18 FGM, 12 field goals of 40+ yards 

Kai Forbath was one of the most pleasant surprises for Washington in 2012. 

After several years of weak play from their kickers, they finally found a dependable leg in the undrafted free agent. Compared to Shaun Suisham and Billy "Cund-whiff", Forbath might be the best Redskins kicker of the past 10 years.

Wide Receiver

Notable Players’ Stats:

Santana Moss: 41 catches for 573 yards and 8 touchdowns

Pierre Garçon: 44 catches for 510 yards and 4 touchdowns

It is not uncommon for quarterbacks to make their surrounding pieces look better and vice versa. 

Although RG3 surely had his part to play in Washington’s offensive waves in 2012, his receivers played a big part as well. 

Besides veteran Santana Moss, younger guys like Pierre Garçon, Josh Morgan and even Aldrick Robinson made plays. They combined for a total of 17 touchdowns in 2012 and should be a better, more acclimated unit next season. 

The Redskins offense is on the rise.

Running Back

Notable Players’ Stats:

Alfred Morris: 1,613 yards rushing and 13 touchdowns

Mike Shanahan’s done it again. 

Shanny gained much praise when he discovered star running back Terrell Davis in the late rounds of the 1995 draft, and he had a repeat performance in 2012. 

Alfred Morris turned out to be an absolute stud in 2012, rushing for over 1,600 yards. Al Mo was the workhorse, one-cut runner that Washington’s offense needed to flourish in Kyle Shanahan’s offense, and that’s precisely what happened. 

Now, while Morris is the headlining act in the Redskins backfield, he’s not the only solid runner. Evan Royster did have his moments for the Redskins in 2012, albeit in a minimal role. 

Royster has shown that he can be a solid part of the passing game by both catching the ball and blocking. 

Not to mention Roy Helu, a talented back who hasn’t had much of an opportunity to shine due to a lingering injury. 

All together, they add up to a tremendous rushing attack.

Linebacker

Notable Players’ Stats:

London Fletcher: 139 tackles, 3 sacks and 5 interceptions

Perry Riley: 129 tackles, 3.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble

Ryan Kerrigan: 54 tackles, 8.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles

The Redskins have recently put together a really great linebacking corps. 

Between London Fletcher, Ryan Kerrigan and Brian Orakpo, the linebackers alone are a scary piece of Washington’s defense. 

Add in rotational players like Perry Riley and Rob Jackson and you could make the argument that they have one of the better linebacker rotations in the NFL. 

They signed Darryl Tapp in free agency, and he will likely see the field pretty often in his first year as a Redskin. 

Washington has a nice mix of young talent and veteran talent throughout their linebacking group, and that will be a great asset to them in the coming years.

Quarterback

Notable Players’ Stats:

Robert Griffin III: 3,200 yards passing and 20 touchdowns, 66% completion percentage

Kirk Cousins: 466 yards and 4 touchdowns, 69% completion percentage 

Robert Griffin III is not only a great player; he's also a symbol of hope for the D.C. area. 

He put on quite a performance in 2012, passing for 3,200 yards and rushing for 815 more. He showed tremendous poise for a rookie, proving that he has a bright future. 

The only downside on RG3 is his risk-taking as a runner. We all saw that dreaded knee injury he suffered last season, but as long as he fully heals, he should just as effective as he was before. 

When Griffin III did sit out due to injury, his replacement did just as well. Kirk Cousins was a valued backup to RG3 last year, leading Washington to two victories and one loss when he was in the game. 

Cousins put on a show against the Browns late last season and came through in the clutch in the end of their game against the Ravens. 

There are many questions surrounding whether or not RG3 will be ready for the start of next season, but even if he isn’t, the Redskins will be just fine. They are in good hands with either one of these guys.