When the Washington Redskins allowed Brian Orakpo to leave in free agency this offseason, it was clear that they viewed Ryan Kerrigan as their top pass-rusher of the future – and they confirmed that last week by signing Kerrigan to a five-year extension worth just shy of $60 million.
Kerrigan has flourished as a pass rusher in the NFL and is coming off of the best season of his pro career as both a pass rusher (+19.9 grade) and a run defender (-3.3) in 2014. Kerrigan racked up a career-best 73 pressures last season, including a 10-pressure performance against the Eagles in Week 16 in which he played all 91 snaps to help Washington get its first win in eight games.
Kerrigan is not a perfectly rounded edge defender, as his run defense is slightly below average, but his production as a pass-rusher has been a rare bright spot in a defense that has struggled mightily in recent seasons. Washington fans and coaches alike will hope that Kerrigan’s consistent production (50 pressures every season of his career) provides a strong foundation along with offseason acquisitions Terrance Knighton and Stephen Paea to greatly improve the defense in 2015.
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