This is the first of a series of articles I plan to publish in the leadup to the draft which will provide roundups of positions and player types that don’t necessarily fit traditional definitions of “starters,” but have particular importance to the Commanders’ team-building efforts. With the recent release of Bobby McCain, there is no better place to start than nickelbacks and safeties who can cover the slot.
My recent recap of the Commanders’ cornerbacks’ performance in 2022 identified a few areas for improvement. One of these was slot coverage. Playing as the Commanders’ primary slot corner, Bobby McCain did a good job of preventing receivers from drawing targets, but once the ball was in the air, he was a liability in coverage, allowing a shocking 78.