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Countdown to Kickoff: No. 26 Bashaud Breeland

By Hunter Noll

Oct 18, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland (26) intercepts a pass in the second quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 18, 2015; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; Washington Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland (26) intercepts a pass in the second quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Countdown to Kickoff series continues on with a profile of Washington Redskins underrated cornerback Bashaud Breeland, who will be attempting to earn an elite corner tag in 2016.

There are exactly 26 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we countdown the days to kickoff.

Related Story: Washington Redskins: Preseason Week 1 Takeaways

The Countdown to Kickoff series began with a look at No. 99 Joey Bosa of the San Diego Chargers (kind of) and has continued on everyday since.

The number 26 does hold some weight in the NFL. Le’Veon Bell is one of the best running backs in football for example. However, I felt some of the more under appreciated players deserved some love too.

With that being said, I don’t understand Bashaud Breeland’s status in the NFL.

The Redskins secondary has been pretty ugly over the last decade. Meanwhile, Breeland has been excellent for them since his first season in the NFL (2014). You would think that someone that comes into a broken system and flourishes would get more respect from the fans and the analysts.

Now, I won’t take it away from Redskins fans. They’ve had some bad times with cornerbacks, and they’re not afraid to call out their secondary for poor play. They recognized Breeland’s talents however, and after a certain performance his rookie season, it didn’t take long for the Redskins fans to fall in love with him.

Breeland is an ultra-talented cover cornerback. In 2014, he deflected 14 passes and intercepted two. In 2015,  he deflected 16 passes and intercepted two more. What makes him a truly great cornerback in my eyes however, is his tackling ability.

During his rookie campaign, Breeland recorded 66 tackles and two forced fumble. He followed that up with 81 tackles and three forced fumbles in 2015.

At just 24-years old, Breeland still has plenty of time to grow, and that’s not good news for NFL receivers. In fact, he wants to make a push as the best cornerback in the league and has even told me he believes that his overall game has been his biggest improvement since joining the Redskins (via Dan Steinberg of the Washington Post).

He might not be a household name yet, but when the next Countdown to Kickoff rolls around, he will be.

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