Day 28: Draft a B1G Defensive Player

Photo by Sam Wasson/Getty Images

After examining reasons why Washington could overachieve or underachieve this season, today we will improve the Dawgs by drafting a player to the defensive side of the ball. The criteria? Simple; they must play in the Big Ten.

Huskies’ head coach Jedd Fisch had a busy offseason. For starters, he replaced ex-defensive coordinator Steve Belichick with former Purdue head coach Ryan Walters. Don’t let the 1-11 campaign by the Boilermakers last season fool you; Walters has immense Big Ten experience. Before

he was leading Purdue, he was in charge of repairing Illinois’ defense. He was successful, building the Fighting Illini’s defense into one of the best in the Big Ten and was named a finalist for the Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach. Before Illinois, he excelled as a defensive coordinator at Mizzou.

Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Then Fisch and staff refined the Husky defense via the transfer portal. Fisch landed familiar faces in linebacker Jacob Manu, cornerback Tacario Davis, and EDGE Ta’ita’I Uiagalelei– all of whom transferred from Arizona, where he coached the trio. The Huskies added to the defensive line by landing Western Michigan transfer Anterio Thompson and ex-Pac-12 foe Simote Pepa. Linebacker Xe-Ree Alexander made his way to UW via UCF. Meanwhile, the Huskies plucked Taariq Al-Uqdah from Washington State after a season where he logged 76 tackles, four fumble recoveries, three forced fumbles, and three interceptions. In the secondary, Washington added safeties CJ Christian of FIU and Alex McLaughlin of Northern Arizona.

The hope is that most or all of these newcomers will elevate UW’s defense– how high is the question. There are a handful of players in the Big Ten that I would love to add to UW’s defense, but I’ve narrowed it down to two.

The candidates:

1. Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State
2. Dani Dennis Sutton, EDGE, Penn State

The dilemma:

Washington’s defense played a significant role in last season’s journey to a bowl game. It was not without flaws, though. The Huskies were outstanding against the pass, ranking No. 8 in yards allowed per pass (6.0), No. 6 in passing yards allowed per game (172.3), and No. 24 in opponent completion percentage (57.68%). But that defense was not without flaws. The Huskies were No. 83 in yards allowed per attempt (4.6) and No. 83 in yards allowed per game (162.6). It’s fair to say that, statistically speaking, Washington’s secondary benefited from the poor run defense because the more teams run the ball, the less likely they are to pile up passing yards.

The decision:

I thought long and hard about picking Downs. He might be the best defensive player in the Big Ten. He might even be the best in the country. Downs was a stellar freshman at Alabama before departing to Ohio State following Nick Saban’s retirement. He was a centerpiece in Ohio State’s defensive brilliance. Of course, the Buckeyes captured the national championship last season, and now Downs returns to Columbus with an opportunity to go back-to-back. During his freshman season at Alabama, he logged 70 solo tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions, one fumble recovery, and a forced fumble. He followed that up by becoming an All-American as a sophomore after a campaign that saw 49 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, .5 sacks, and six passes defended.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

All signs point to Downs being a top 10 draft pick next offseason, assuming he goes pro following his upcoming junior season. Washington’s secondary would be a daunting puzzle for opposing quarterbacks. But if I had to pick just one player to elevate the defense as a whole, it’s Dennis-Sutton.

The mentioned-above struggles against the run kept the Huskies from finishing with more wins. Despite a strong offseason, there’s still reason to believe defending the run could be a work in progress, along with getting to the quarterback. An instant remedy is Dennis-Sutton. If you’re unfamiliar, watch the highlights from Penn State’s clash with Notre Dame in the College Football Playoff. He finished that outing with six tackles, two sacks, an interception returned for a touchdown, and a forced fumble. On the year, he finished with 24 solo tackles, 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. Now imagine production like that on Washington’s defensive line.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

It’s no secret that strong quarterback play isn’t a calling card for the Big Ten. If the Huskies were still in the Pac-12, I’d pick Downs. But after watching opposing teams gash UW on the ground, I can’t pass up on an interior presence better described as a game-wrecker.

Dani Dennis-Simmons, welcome to Montlake. (not really)

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• Friday Dots: Who are the Huskies’ top draft prospects for 2018?
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