Washington Football Team places 3 on USA Today's Top 101
USA Today released its Top 101 NFL players list ahead of training camp and the results were a mixed bag for Washington Football Team fans.
While WFT placed three players on the list, there is an argument to be made that one or two more players should have earned the honor.
Here's a look at what USA Today had to say about each of WFT's Top 101 players:
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Washington smartly placed the franchise tag on Scherff knowing how important he is to the success of the offensive line.
With a lot of questions surrounding the quarterback position this season, it will be good to know that whoever is under center will have strong interior protection from the four-time Pro Bowler.
There are a number of reasons why the Washington Football Team did not let Brandon Scherff leave town... Scherff has dealt with injuries in the past, such as a torn pectoral muscle in 2018 and a knee injury in 2020. But when healthy, he is among the sport’s elite in the interior.
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No. 68: CB William Jackson III
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Jackson is set to make his WFT debut this fall after spending his first four NFL seasons with Cincinnati. He signed a three-year, $40.5 million contract this offseason and should form one of the most dynamic cornerback duos in the league with Kendall Fuller.
Throw in Landon Collins and breakout rookie Kamren Curl and this secondary rivals some of the best we have seen in a long time.
Jackson had another great year last season for the Bengals, allowing a completion percentage of just 52.5% when opposing quarterbacks targeted him in the passing game. Jackson also intercepted a pass and had five pass breakups to add to his resume. An area of his game that continues to improve is his tackling. Last season Jackson notched a career-high 43 tackles, and missed on just four attempts.
Last year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year is only getting started. His 7.5 sacks ranked second on the team behind Montez Sweat and his three fumble recoveries led the team. He even took one of those fumble recoveries back for a touchdown against San Francisco in Week 14.
Young set a high bar that landed him at No. 66 on the list but he has a lot of room to grow and climb on this list for next season.
Washington selected Young with the second-overall pick in the 2020 draft based on an athletic profile that has few peers. That profile showed up in Young’s rookie season, when he totaled six sacks, six quarterback hits, and 30 quarterback hurries. There were times when Young, even as part of a defensive line with five former first-round picks, found that his technique wasn’t quite up to the level of blocking he discovered in the NFL. But there were more than enough “wow” moments to speak to his potential over time, and when he did put it all together, Young was everything his NFL team hoped he would be.
A notable omission to the list is wide receiver Terry McLaurin, whose 1,118 receiving yards ranked 13th in the league last season. The lowest-ranked receiver to crack the list was Chris Godwin, who sat 95th and posted 840 receiving yards last season. We're sure that when McLaurin sees this list, he will use it as motivation for 2021. And if he continues on the trajectory he's on, there's no question he should be on this list next season.
