The Washington Redskins have a litany of talent on both sides of the ball. After last years awful last-place finish as a defense the Redskins are seeking to make drastic improvements in 2018. In a year where every snap in practice and in a preseason game could be the difference in winning or losing UDFA rookie, LB Jerod Fernandez has made his presence felt on defense.
The former North Carolina State product plays a heck of a lot faster than his 40-yard dash time would show (4.73) He has a great understanding of where he needs to be in any given situation. The field smarts enable him to be able to attack the flats and screenplays along with shutting down any runs to the outside.
In his four years at NC State, Fernandez amassed 20.5 tackles for a loss, nine of which he accrued in the 2017 season. He would finish his career with 314 combined tackles, three sacks, five interceptions, and seven passes defended.
Over the past two preseason games, Fernandez has stood out when looking at the game film. His unique ability to diagnose the play and react accordingly is one major area that has jump out when watching his game.
The Florida natives instincts this preseason has shown up on the stat sheet as well, as he has 12 combined tackles and 2 sacks. Fernandez has proven to be a very good tackler, especially in space. The Redskins struggled mightily in this area last season both on defense and special teams.
Even though it could be a long shot for Fernandez to make the final 53 man roster, he is making a strong case for the Redskins to give him an opportunity he is proving he is an NFL caliber player.