Ranking the Top 15 Washington Football Team Players (15-11)
The 2020 training camp is underway, players have reported, and practices will ensue. Soon after training camp is completed, the league this year, due to COVID-19, will hit the ground running. There is no pre-season for the players and coaches to get acclimated, so if there were any season for a team's best players to show up and produce on day one, this would be the year for it.
Here I will reveal the Washington Football Team's (WFT) top 15 players on the roster in a three-part series. The criteria for the list is simple - the top 15 players who will make the most impact in 2020, regardless of past performance.
15.) Montez Sweat
Position: Edge
Age: 23
No. of Seasons with WFT: 2
2020 Outlook: Sweat's second season should be much easier on him than his rookie year. As Washington chose to add the best pass-rusher in the NFL draft this past spring and hired a proven defensive coordinator in Jack Del Rio, Sweat should learn much quicker and be able to beat tackles at a consistent rate.
Sweat's buzz for year two is a lot of buzz; Kerrigan believes in Sweat and sees a lot of talent in him. Sweat was also projected to break out in 2020 by CBS Sports. If all goes well for Sweat, he will be a top ten player for Washington in 2021.
14.) Tress Way
Position: Punter
Age: 30
No. of Seasons with WFT: 7
2020 Outlook: Way has been the most consistent player for the Football Team essentially since he joined the Team in 2014. Some may still consider punters and kickers non-athletes; however, having an excellent punter is a game-changer. Way has been the biggest crutch for Washington, especially when the offense could not move the football, he can completely flip the field for his defense. Way has shown no signs of slowing down and will be a big piece for the Team again this year.
13.) Steven Sims, Jr.
Position: Wide Receiver
Age: 23
No. of Seasons with WFT: 2
2020 Outlook: Steven Sims Jr. is in a tight spot. Although he is one of Washington's best players, the Team still chose to add depth and competition at the position that may well compromise his playing time on offense. Which is fine, Rivera preached embracing competition in all areas of the roster. So, for Sims Jr., who is the best all-purpose weapon that Washington has, being able to score in multiple phases of the game is a big deal. Sims Jr. should have an outstanding sophomore year in Washington.
12.) Ryan Kerrigan
Position: Edge
Age: 31
No. of Seasons with WFT: 10
2020 Outlook: Kerrigan, along with Tress Way, has been the most consistent WFT on the roster throughout their respective tenure. Heading into his age 32 season, Kerrigan must bounce back after an abnormal, injury-plagued 2019 season. Keyword - abnormal, so, even though it is valid to question if Kerrigan is approaching the wrong side of 30, he should still be counted on for at least six sacks this season. Which, for Kerrigan, six sacks is good enough this year. Kerrigan is excited to finally work in a 4-3 defense and be ready to prove he corrected the mistakes he committed in an underwhelming 2019 season.
11.) Dwayne Haskins Jr.
Position: Quarterback
Age: 23
No. of Seasons with WFT: 2
2020 Outlook: Haskins has done everything this off-season that head coach Ron Rivera has asked him to prove he is serious about becoming a better professional quarterback. Haskins enters his second season with some momentum on his side and should continue his solid off-season by winning the starting job in training camp. Alternatively, Haskins is not a proven commodity, and some projecting must be done as the 2020 season approaches. He is coming off a season where he showed a ton of inconsistently on a larger scale, and not many national pundits struggle to buy-in on the 23-year old quarterback for those reasons. Time will soon tell how Haskins off-the-field development carry's over onto the field, and if we are hoping the WFT's offense can produce at a respectable level in 2020, this will be a direct result of Haskins being a better quarterback.
Stay tuned for rankings (10-6) & (5-1) coming later this week!
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Jamual Forrest has been a freelance sports journalist for four years, covering the Washington Football Team and can be heard as a co-host on The Hog Sty Network's "The Hog Sty" podcast. Additionally, Jamual contributes to The Hog Sty Network and SB Nation's Hogs Haven. You can follow Jamual on Twitter at @LetMualTellit and see his Washington Football Team film breakdowns here.
