Washington’s defense looked unrecognizable in the first half of Tuesday’s Rose Bowl loss to Ohio State.
For different reasons, it will have a decidedly new look in 2019.
All-American safety Taylor Rapp on Wednesday morning announced plans to skip his senior season and declare for the NFL draft, and fellow defensive backs Byron Murphy and Myles Bryant are known to be mulling whether to do the same.
Murphy, as a third-year sophomore, is eligible to enter the 2019 draft, and he received a second-ground grade from the NFL College Advisory Committee. Bryant, at 5-feet-8, isn’t the archetype for an NFL defensive back, but he’s a sure tackler — as good as the Huskies have — who could benefit from the rising popularity of nickelbacks in the NFL.