The NFL draft is the lifeblood of your football team. Selecting and developing young talent is the number one job of an NFL general manager.
Adam Peters has been criticized a bit over his first two years in Washington for some of his higher draft picks. Some of those guys were expected to have a MUCH bigger impact on the team than they have had to date.
Conversely, some players who were picked a bit later shined early on. While we can make our voices heard in displeasure about some of Peter’s top 100
picks not preforming, we must be just as complementary of some guys who may have been overlooked in the draft, but came to Washington and did well. And, yes, I’m taking about BILL!
Fans want to see players perform well. Some players take more time than others to develop, but the key to success is whether said player eventually gets to that “expected” level.
With that said, below are my offensive and defensive breakout candidates for the upcoming season.
Offense: TE Ben Sinnott
Every time tight end Ben Sinnott touches the ball, good things seem to happen. The issue was that former offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury didn’t often get him the ball, instead relying on the savvy veteran Zach Ertz to help move the chains from the tight end position.
This new David Blough offense seems tailor-made for a player like Sinnott. He can be moved around the formation, deployed as a blocker and pass catcher, and use his unique open-field abilities after the catch to move the offense up and down the field. He’s best with the ball in his hands with some space in front of him. This new system should scheme him to do just that.
I view tight end Chig Okonkwo as a JUMBO wide receiver, so John Bates could be the true (more traditional) tight end of this offense. That leaves plenty of opportunity for Sinnott.
Breakout Barometer: 40 receptions, 450 yards, 5 touchdowns
Defense: DL Johnny Newtown
Make no mistake about it — Johnny Newton was an absolute FORCE in Illinois’ one-gapping, attacking front in college. Because of that disruptive ability, he was selected early, in round two of the 2024 NFL draft.
He was dealing with a lingering foot issue from college as a rookie and never quite got going. Newton was healthy entering Year 2, but a rash of injuries along the defensive front and a scheme that didn’t fit his talents thwarted his sophomore campaign. There were some quality flashes, but the consistency was missing.
Year 3 could potentially paint an entirely different picture. The new up-field, attacking scheme that defensive coordinator Daronte Jones is expected to use should be much better for his skillset. Also, not having to two-gap in an EAGLE front should be to his liking.
Quickness off the snap, plus an ability to get into the backfield and cause havoc are Newton’s best attributes. Putting him in a 3-technique and letting him use that quick-twitch ability against slower, more unathletic guards will be to his benefit.
Breakout Barometer: 45 tackles, 9 TFL, 7 sacks, 1 FF
Breakout Bonus: Mike Sainristil
If you know me, you’ll know there can never be enough rainbows and unicorns. With that, I give you my bonus breakout player.
As many of you already know, I’m a BIG Mike Sainristil fan. I thought he showed really well as a rookie, despite bouncing between the slot and boundary.
Last year was a big step back, but how much of that was the system and lack of continuity around him?
Sainristil has shown a propensity for taking the ball away during his first two seasons. In this new defensive scheme, where he’ll be able to play a lot more with his eyes on the quarterback, I expect him to continue to be the guy creating turnovers.
We’ve all seen that, despite his lack of size, Mikey is not afraid to come up and hit guys. I believe we see a nice blend of coverage and run support from the third-year corner, and we can watch Uncle Nick (Saban)’s praise about him being one of the best pound-for-pound players in the 2024 draft class come to reality in the league.
Breakout Barometer: 65 tackles, 1 FF, 1 sack, 5 INT, 15 PD
*Sainristil had back-to-back seasons of 93 and 85 combined tackles respectively. However, you don’t want to see your cornerback making that many tackles, as that usually means your front seven is NOT doing their job. So, while I have Sainristil with less combined tackles, I just think that means Washington’s defensive line and linebackers are doing their jobs better.
Let us know what you think of Mark’s breakout candidates, or add other nominees, in the comments below:
