Washington Redskins: Defense a pleasant surprise through first quarter

The Washington Redskins defense is surprisingly one of the better units in the NFL through the first four weeks of the 2017 season.

If you scour the list of the NFL’s top defenses thus far in 2017 you’d see some familiar names. The Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers are among the teams inside the top 10 in total defense. Ranking No. 10 in total defense, surprisingly, is the Washington Redskins.

A big reason for Washington’s turnaround on defense is simple: talent. In past years, the Redskins focused their spending on offense and were bereft of draft picks, thanks in part to the ill-fated Robert Griffin III trade of 2012. When former general manager Scot McCloughan took over in 2015, his biggest focus was improving both the offensive and defensive lines and simply building depth.

In McCloughan’s two drafts with the team, we should say three and include the 2017 draft, too, since Washington used his board, the Redskins picked a plethora of players helping them now. Preston Smith, Matt Ioannidis, Jonathan Allen, Martrell Spaight, Kendall Fuller, Ryan Anderson and Montae Nicholson are all players picked within the last three years who are helping the team now.

In the 2014 draft, starting cornerback Bashaud Breeland was chosen. Breeland is in his fourth year as a starter and has taken his game to another level in 2017. Two factors for Breeland’s improvement is the presence of All-Pro corner Josh Norman on the other side and the hiring of new defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. Breeland’s play slipped last year under former position coach Perry Fewell. Gray has simplified things for his charges and focused on fundamentals.

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As for Norman, count him among the major catalysts for change in D.C. When big-time free agents used to sign with Washington, it rarely worked out. Players got their money and disappeared. Not Norman. Since coming to Washington, Norman has changed many perceptions. Arguably, no one works harder and that’s something that rubs off on young teammates. If big-money guys like Norman and homegrown star Ryan Kerrigan work hard, young players know the need to get in and follow. It’s called creating a culture.

The biggest reason for Washingon’s ineptitude on defense over the years was a porous defensive line. The Redskins refused to spend a high draft choice on the d-line and it showed. The selection of Jonathan Allen — arguably the best player in the 2017 draft who fell due to shoulder concerns — changed everything. Allen is as advertised. He takes and beats double teams. He gets into the backfield and makes his teammates better.

Second-year man Matt Ioannidis is one such beneficiary. A fifth-round pick out of Tulane in 2016, Ioannidis was actually cut at the end of training camp in order to keep Kedric Golston on the roster. It was, in retrospect, an incredibly dumb move that didn’t end up hurting the team. Once Golston went on IR, Ioannidis came up from the practice squad. While he wasn’t impactful, he gained experience.

In 2017, Ioannidis is quickly becoming one of the better young interior defenders in the NFL. Pro Football Focus ranks Ioannidis No. 5 among defensive linemen in pass-rushing grades. The players Ioannidis is behind are Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins and Gerald McCoy. That’s elite company, folks.

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New defensive line coach Jim Tomsula was perhaps Washington’s best free-agent signing in the offseason. Tomsula is arguably the best defensive line coach in the NFL and his impact is felt with all of the team’s defensive linemen and pass rushers.

Another young player who has turned the corner is Smith. As a rookie two years ago, Smith showed plenty of promise. However, he regressed in 2016. Now, Smith is in better shape and more focused than ever. Not only is he better against the run, he is one of the league leaders in sacks through the first quarter of the season.

In the following play, just watch Smith’s relentlessness. That was missing last year.

Zach Brown’s addition in the offseason was a coup for the team’s brass. The Redskins signed him to a cheap one-year deal and Brown has transformed the defense. The Redskins now have an inside linebacker who is physical, while possessing the speed of a defensive back. It’s probably about time Bruce Allen tries to lock Brown down for a few years.

Brown has made fellow inside ‘backers, Spaight, Mason Foster and Will Compton better, too. Foster and Brown have proven to be a good pair.

Another terrific addition in the offseason was free safety D.J. Swearinger. Named a captain before ever playing a game, Swearinger brings attitude, discipline and leadership to a group starved for it. He is impactful on every play, lines everyone up in the back end and is a strong tackler. The Redskins ignored the safety position for years and with Swearinger and rookie Montae Nicholson they may finally have the long-term pairing fans have coveted for over a decade.

Nicholson is everything you look for in a safety. He’s big, physical, fast and smart. His offseason shoulder surgery likely hampered his draft stock but you won’t hear the Redskins complaining.

Much like Ioannidis, Fuller struggled as a rookie last year. Recovering from a knee surgery during his final year at Virginia Tech, Fuller looked slow and overwhelmed as a rookie. Over the summer, reports were Fuller looked like a different player. He’s proven that to be true. He’s created multiple turnovers on the young season and is a force in the run game, too. He hates screen passes.

There are numerous other players chipping in and helping, too. Kerrigan, the reliable veteran, seems re-energized with the talent infusion around him. He’s his usual terrific self.

Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 5

The biggest question facing defensive coordinator Greg Manusky is can he keep this unit playing at high level for the remaining 12 games? Injuries aside, if the defense remains in the top half of the league, the Redskins are a legitimate contender.