5 Pass-Rushers Washington Redskins Must Consider in 2015 NFL Draft
It's the chicken-or-the-egg argument of NFL defensive football: stronger pass rush or better coverage? It's a dilemma as old as the game itself and one the Washington Redskins must answer ahead of the 2015 NFL draft.
That won't be easy considering poor safety play and a weak rush were both culpable for the team's 24th-ranked pass defense in 2014. Yet the former may be tougher to solve in a year when the rookie and free-agency classes at safety are underwhelming.
Meanwhile, there is likely to be an opening in Washington's pass-rushing rotation. The team could let pending free agent Brian Orakpo, a major disappointment after receiving the franchise tag last season, walk.
Orakpo's exit would dent a defense that managed just 36 sacks last season. But the Redskins could soften the blow by drafting any of the following five pass-rushers.
The Brian Orakpo Problem and Partnerships
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There won't be an opening for a pass-rusher if new Washington general manager Scot McCloughan opts to keep Orakpo in D.C. That way, the team's first-round pick in 2009 could resume his partnership with Ryan Kerrigan.
The latter enjoyed a breakout year in 2014, logging 13.5 sacks. Kerrigan's banner season came a year after Orakpo notched 10 sacks.
The problem has been keeping this pair together. It's a problem that's mostly been on Orakpo.
After all, the 28-year-old has missed 25 games in six seasons, including nine in 2014. Worst still, Orakpo's production has been inconsistent. He managed to record just half a sack in seven games last season.
That's beyond dire by any player's standards. Along with his injuries, that sad figure forms the argument against putting the franchise tag on Orakpo one more time.
Bleacher Report Analyst Chris Simms believes Washington should avoid that scenario. He notes how the cost of over $14 million for 2015 is just too much to pay, especially for a player with this many question marks.
Letting go of Orakpo may make fiscal sense, but it would rob this defense of its premier pass-rusher. Or more specifically, one of its premier pass-rushers.
All great 3-4 defenses have a pair of bookend pressure specialists. Take perhaps the greatest 3-4 defense ever, the New Orleans Saints' vaunted "Dome Patrol." That group brought the heat to quarterbacks thanks to outside linebackers Pat Swilling and Rickey Jackson.
Of course, there are more recent examples, For instance, the 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers won a Super Bowl thanks largely to a defense based on the pressure of James Harrison and LaMarr Woodley.
The 2012 San Francisco 49ers made the Super Bowl with Aldon Smith and Ahmad Brooks collapsing the pocket from the outside.
The Kansas City Chiefs may never win or even get to a Super Bowl under Andy Reid, but their defense will remain strong as long as Tamba Hali and Justin Houston are flying off the edge.
The value of having two quality pass-rushers argues against the Redskins waiting for 2014 second-round pick Trent Murphy to make the grade. As a rookie, the ex-Stanford man was a shell of the player who led college football in sacks in 2013.
It's a similar story along the defensive line where veteran Jason Hatcher disappointed as a seemingly marquee addition last offseason. The 32-year-old had injury troubles and is now under pressure to deliver.
Washington coaches can feel a whole lot better about the defense's ability to apply pressure in 2015 if another quality rusher joins Kerrigan in the mix.
Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida
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Dante Fowler Jr. may be the most natural 3-4 outside linebacker in this year's draft. He has the length and bulk needed to survive on the edge in today's linebacker-led schemes.
The modern 3-4 is much more hybrid in nature. It requires linebackers who are closer in build to classic 4-3 defensive ends than traditional linebackers.
Given how often teams play four-man front nickel schemes, 3-4 edge-rushers must also be stout enough to still win against offensive tackles and handle the run from a three-point stance.
The good news is Fowler can do all those things. The Gators ace is still learning his craft as a pass-rusher, but considering his early education yielded 8.5 sacks in 2014, per CFBStats.com, Washington should be excited about what he could once he learns a little more.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein believes a Pro Bowl berth is in Fowler's future if he adds some new moves to his repertoire. Even though Zierlein describes Fowler as a "3-4 strong-side outside linebacker," he's certainly flexible enough to move to the other side and away from Kerrigan's territory.
That would make Fowler a good option for the fifth overall pick, a scenario endorsed by CBS Sports analyst Dane Brugler.
Michael Bennett, DT, Ohio State
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Washington could score a destructive interior pass-rusher if it takes a chance on Ohio State's Michael Bennett. At 6'2", 288 pounds, he's potentially a little undersized for the 3-4 front but would be a terror inside in the nickel defense.
In fact, the arrival of new coordinator Joe Barry could only increase the case for McCloughan taking a chance on Bennett. Head coach Jay Gruden has hired Barry to call a more "shoot-the-gap-type of 3-4," according to Mike Jones of The Washington Post.
That will suit a "fast gap-shooter" like Bennett who logged seven sacks and 14 tackles for loss in 2014, per Walter Football writer Walter Cherepinsky. In fact, he may have ample opportunities to utilize those skills in Washington as Barry develops his own system.
Real Redskins blogger Rich Tandler has suggested Washington will line up in a 4-3 "a significant percentage of the time." That's a schematic shift that would make Bennett great value as a second-round choice, which is where he's projected by CBS Sports.
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Nate Orchard, OLB, Utah
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Nate Orchard is a prospect on the rise. Monster statistics in 2014 certainly prove that, but it's his performance at the Senior Bowl that was really intriguing.
It was in Mobile, Alabama, where Orchard, an undersized collegiate defensive end, showed his proficiency as an outside linebacker. NFL.com College Football 24/7 writer Bryan Fischer raved about Orchard's speed around the corner:
"While he succeeded in the North team's practices best when he had his hand in the ground during one-on-one drills, Orchard was also able to flash traits as an outside linebacker that NFL scouts were looking for.
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Orchard checked in at 6-foot-3, 251 pounds during the official weigh-ins and mixed things up with fast-rising prospects at offensive tackle like T.J. Clemmings and Rob Havenstein in both run-blocking and pass-rush drills. At defensive end, Orchard was surprisingly stout despite giving up nearly 100 pounds to his opponents, but really shined trying to turn the corner while using his speed to create an advantage while standing up as a linebacker.
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The ability to stand up to the physical demands of defending the run augers well for a player who may be viewed as small for the edge in the NFL. But Orchard's natural explosion as a pass-rusher remains his most enticing attribute.
That quality helped the Utah standout log a whopping 18.5 sacks in 2014, per CFBStats.com. The number reflects the sort of dominance the Washington defense needs when bringing the heat in 2015.
The unit will also need versatility if it's going to put more hybrid theory into practice. A player whom NFL.com Media analyst Bucky Brooks describes as an "'Elephant' defensive end" would certainly help the new scheme.
How quickly he helps may depend on how patient the Redskins are prepared to be, along with how well Orchard responds to pro coaching. A one-time wide receiver, he hasn't played defense for long, according to CBS Sports writer Rob Rang.
Match Orchard's production with flexibility and potential, and the 2014 Ted Hendricks Award winner would make a lot of sense as a second-round pick for the Redskins.
Malcom Brown, DT, Texas
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Malcom Brown is the sort of flexible and playmaking lineman Washington's defensive front has lacked since switching to a 3-4 in 2010. His size, quickness, rush skills and ability to play various techniques have to put him on McCloughan's radar.
The house-sized Texas mass of destruction could function as a 5-technique end in Washington's base 3-4. His 6'2", 320-pound frame would make him a stalwart against the run.
But it's Brown's move skills and talent for splitting gaps that should intrigue the Redskins. Those qualities would let him work as a 3-technique either in the base front or sub-package defenses.
Many one-gap 3-4 teams make room for a beefy 3-technique on base downs. The Arizona Cardinals turn Calais Campbell loose, while Barry's old team, the San Diego Chargers, unleash Corey Liuget.
Barry could kick Brown further inside, directly over a center or guard, where his core strength could dominate. Walter Football scribe Walter Cherepinsky highlighted the behemoth's blend of power and speed as a potentially deadly mix:
"Brown is at his best when he is firing a gap to cause havoc in the backfield.
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Brown had a good 2014 season. He used his speed to be a dangerous pass-rusher and showed some power to shed blocks. Brown overwhelmed offensive linemen in many games. In 2014, Brown had 6.5 sacks, 71 tackles, 13 for a loss, one pass batted and two forced fumbles.
Brown is a thick-bodied, inside pass-rusher who can be a consistent menace between the guards and center. He's been rising up draft boards recently.
But if Brown is still on the board at the top of Round 2, he'll be too good to miss for a defensive unit that needs to see its linemen in the backfield more often.
Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska
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If the Redskins can justify picking one pass-rusher at the end of the top five, Nebraska's Randy Gregory is that guy. He's a natural and dynamic rush linebacker who would make an instant transition to playing 3-4 at the pro level.
It's a switch Gregory is eager to try in the NFL, according to Associated Press writer Eric Olson (h/t The News Tribune). But it isn't just Gregory's willingness to try his hand in a 3-4 that would make it work.
His awesome takeoff speed and acceleration closing around the corner make him a potential blue-chip stand-up pass-rusher. Gregory has the long arms, lean frame and quick steps that all the best 3-4 outside 'backers possess.
He is a terror off the edge who is able to bolt around the corner and close on quarterbacks from the blind side. That's exactly the type of weak-side presence Washington needs to complement Kerrigan's efforts.
In this context, ESPN analyst Mel Kiper Jr.'s mocking the 6'6", 240-pounder to D.C. makes a whole lot of sense. The player doesn't lack in confidence, even tabbing himself as worthy of this year's first overall choice, per USA Today's Tom Pelissero.
If there's one note of caution, it concerns a slight drop in production. Gregory picked up seven sacks in 2014, per CFBStats.com, after logging 9.5 in 2013.
Injuries were at the root of the problem. Walter Football writer Charlie Campbell states Gregory suffered a concussion and underwent knee surgery last season.
But Campbell also lists a key quality that could help a healthy Gregory hit the ground running once he's drafted:
"Many college speed rushers don't have a repertoire of moves as they rely on their speed 100 percent of the time. Gregory, however, has been very well coached. He uses a spin move, swim move and bull rush effectively. Gregory is really smart about when he deploys those moves, too.
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That range of moves could separate him from most first-year pass-rushers who are often viewed by pro coaches as the proverbial "one-trick ponies," according to CBS Sports NFL Insider Pat Kirwan.
Gregory's pro-ready repertoire and can't-coach-it speed make him a dream fit for Washington's 3-4 front.
Acquiring another pass-rusher or two has to be an offseason priority for McCloughan. Applying greater pressure on the pocket is the fastest route to improving the play of a secondary that is weighted down by inexperience on the outside and aging legs in the middle.
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