Grading Washington Redskins' 5 Most Improved Positional Units

The NFL hasn't changed as much as it likes to pretend in its modern era, where games are still won in the crunch period of a season by those who can dominate up front defensively and control the ball on the ground on offense.

After a productive offseason of improvement in these areas, the Washington Redskins now look set to do both in 2017.

The Redskins are sure to be tougher in the trenches after spending their free-agency dollars wisely to bring in two quality defensive linemen. Add in Washington's top pick in the 2017 NFL draft, and the Burgundy and Gold will have one of the better three-man fronts in football this season.

The boost in talent up front will be excellent news for a linebacker corps also refreshed through both free agency and the draft. Help on the inside arrived courtesy of the veteran market after Washington acquired a versatile Pro Bowler.

Meanwhile, things on the outside could be set for a change after the Redskins took one of the better all-round edge players off the board in the draft's second round.

Read on for a more detailed breakdown of Washington's five most improved position units.

1. Nose Tackle

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Grade: A

Last season saw a revolving door at nose tackle in Washington. Players such as Ricky Jean Francois, rookie Matthew Ioannidis and converted end Ziggy Hood all spent time over center.

However, the confusing carousel of journeymen retreads and unproven youngsters can grind to a halt after the signing of Terrell McClain in free agency. McClain's name doesn't generate much buzz, but make no mistake, the Redskins landed an underrated nose guard when they plucked him off the Dallas Cowboys' roster.

McClain quietly produced a number of quality performances during three seasons with Washington's bitter NFC East rivals. He anchored the toughest run defense in the NFL a year ago. In fact, McClain has usually been involved in the Cowboys' stingiest performances against the run since 2014.

A perfect example comes from Week 15 of the 2014 NFL season, when McClain and Co. held a talented Philadelphia Eagles backfield trio of LeSean McCoy, Darren Sproles and Chris Polk to just 70 yards rushing in a lopsided road win for Dallas, per Pro Football Reference.

McClain is a natural nose tackle with two-gap talent, along with the ability to split gaps and wreck plays at source in the backfield. He's also not Washington's only option at the most important position on the team's defense.

There is the possibility a returning Phil Taylor plays over the ball in 2017. The mammoth 0-technique is a force when healthy, something he has seldom managed to be since 2013.

However, Taylor is a former first-round talent, and a behemoth capable of clogging lanes and absorbing blockers for fun. Taylor beat out ex-Washington starter Terrance Knighton in a tryout last December, per Mike Jones of the Washington Post, so he's obviously caught the eye of coaches at Redskins Park.

Taylor is an intriguing case, but as ESPN's John Keim noted, it would be a "dream scenario" for the Redskins if he can stay healthy.

Every good defense is built from the trenches up, with strength in the middle the obvious starting point. Washington's D' already looks stouter thanks to the improved options at nose tackle.

2. Defensive End

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Grade: A+

Redskins fans might still be pinching themselves after the team drafted Jonathan Allen with the 17th pick in this year's draft. Allen is the most complete D-lineman from 2017's class and can be an instant game-wrecker in the pros.

He should be a menace at either end spot in new coordinator Greg Manusky's schemes. Manusky must take advantage of Allen's innate versatility.

He played multiple spots and techniques for the Crimson Tide, operating as a 5-tech end, a 3-tech pass-rushing tackle and even spending some time lined up over center.

Fortunately, Manusky and the Redskins have already been utilizing Allen's flexibility in offseason workouts, per ESPN's John Keim: "They've worked him at both end spots and would play him as a tackle in their nickel packages."

The most exciting trait Allen brings to Washington's front three is a flair for getting to the passer. He recorded 22.5 sacks during his final two seasons in Mobile, per cfbstats.com.

The Redskins haven't had a game-changing pass-rusher on the line since switching to the 3-4 in 2010. Allen can be the force the team expected Jason Hatcher to be when they signed him in 2014.

Allen will make an impact from Day 1, but don't sleep on Stacy McGee, the bulky end snagged from the Oakland Raiders during free agency. At 6'3" and 310 pounds, McGee is tough to move in the running game.

Considering how much Washington has struggled stopping the run the last two years, ranking 24th in 2016 and 25th in 2015, no team did more to improve in this area than the Redskins.

Fielding bookends as formidable as Allen and McGee will be the key to a major turnaround on the ground.

3. Inside Linebacker

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Grade: B

Snapping up Zach Brown on a one-year deal in free agency means the Redskins are already significantly better at inside linebacker than they were a year ago. That's because Brown gives Washington's defense what it has lacked for too long at the second level, namely a versatile playmaker who can impact offenses in every phase of the game.

Brown is quick, intelligent and athletic enough to be an asset in coverage, where he is able to stay with running backs in the flat, lock up tight ends and shadow slot receivers underneath.

The 27-year-old made strides with the Buffalo Bills last season as a downhill force. Specifically, he showed a knack for destroying protection schemes on the blitz, finishing the 2016 season with four sacks.

Brown isn't dominant physically against the run, but he is an active player, one who logged 149 combined tackles for the Bills. What Brown lacks as a bruiser he makes up for with swift sideline-to-sideline speed.

His roving instincts could see him dominate in Washington, where the team's improved talent up front will keep him clean more often.

Adding Brown has upgraded the playmaking potential of this position unit. It's a group already home to a pair of capable starters in Mason Foster and the re-signed Will Compton.

Brown and Foster would be the better starting tandem in 2017, but the Redskins should just be happy to have given themselves more options for these key spots.

4. Outside Linebacker

Nick Wass/Associated Press

GRADE: B+

It says a lot about how the Redskins view their options at outside linebacker that they felt compelled to use yet another second-round pick on the position when they drafted Ryan Anderson this year.

Allen's college teammate at Alabama becomes the third outside 'backer Washington has taken in the second round since 2014, joining Trent Murphy and Preston Smith. The latter's dip in production is an obvious reason why Anderson came off the board in Round 2.

So was Murphy's four-game PED-related suspension to start this season. The infraction is a setback for a player who recorded a career-best nine sacks in 2016.

However, when Murphy's back, he can help key significant improvement from this position unit. Specifically, he'll add another versatile pass-rusher who Manusky can move around to create pressure from a variety of spots.

The same is true of Junior Galette, the veteran who is finally bidding to be healthy after missing the last two seasons with Achilles injuries. Galette may never be what he once was, but the 29-year-old does have a solid history of getting to the quarterback, logging 22 sacks in his final two seasons with the New Orleans Saints.

If Galette can stay off the treatment table and out of trouble, he can help Murphy provide the pressure to ease the burden on regular standout Ryan Kerrigan.

Yet the question marks hovering over both Galette and Murphy will increase the importance of Anderson's selection. He's a player compared to Green Bay Packers veteran Elvis Dumervil by Jamual Forrest, writing for Scout.com's Breaking Burgundy, who also outlined the best traits of Anderson's game:

"The best thing about Anderson is that he rocked against players in the best division in the NCAA. Anderson, to me, is not a guy who’s elite at anything, but he’s good at almost everything. He was a playmaker and game-changer for the Crimson Tide as he always found a way to get to the quarterback."

Anderson can be the dependable all-rounder this unit has needed on the other side from Kerrigan.

5. Running Back

Alex Brandon/Associated Press

Grade: C+

As much as the Redskins need to improve stopping the run, they also have to get better at making their own yards on the ground in 2017. Fortunately, things already look stronger in the backfield thanks to the decision to draft Samaje Perine in the fourth round.

Perine will join Rob Kelley, who went from undrafted rookie to starter in 2016. Kelley supplanted fumble-happy Matt Jones, who has not attended OTAs so far this year, per Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

Rapoport had previously reported the Redskins were exploring trading Jones, who's been disappointing since being drafted in the third round in 2015 by previous general manager Scot McCloughan.

Jones will regret staying away, because it gives Washington head coach Jay Gruden more chances to see what he has in Perine. What he should see is a relentless inside grinder who, much like Kelley, rarely goes down after first contact.

Perine averaged six yards a carry at Oklahoma, according to ESPN's John Keim, so he should also add some true big-play potential to Washington's running game.

Big plays can also come from the speed of third-down specialist Chris Thompson, who was wisely re-signed as a restricted free agent and could be poised for a breakout year after improving as a runner-receiver in 2016.

Speed is no longer in short supply in this rotation, particularly if the Redskins keep Mack Brown as the fourth runner.

It's something CSN Mid-Atlantic's JP Finlay believes Washington will do:

"Robert Kelley and Chris Thompson are roster locks, and Perine seems like he has a very good chance. If the 'Skins keep four runners, Mack Brown has the inside track on that spot. Jones seems to be on the outside looking in, which might be the root cause of his absence."

This position unit can show major improvement if Perine makes a fast adaptation to the big league. It will also help if Kelley proves last season, where he averaged 4.2 yards per carry and scored six touchdowns, was no fluke.

If so, the Redskins will have a formidable one-two punch in the backfield for the first time in a while. Add in Thompson's useful versatility, and this team appears primed to be a force on the ground for the first time in Gruden's tenure.

A productive offseason has seen the Redskins significantly improve at these five key position groups. Most of those improvements will show up on the defensive side of the ball, with the front seven looking formidable headed into the 2017 NFL season.