Now we will take a look at the outside linebacker position.

Seventh-year veteran Ryan Kerrigan is a fixture at the left outside linebacker position. He’s coming off one of the better seasons of his career (11 sacks, 33 tackles, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups).

But Washington needs a greater impact opposite Kerrigan.

Fortunately for new defensive coordinator Greg Manusky, who last season served as outside linebackers coach, the Redskins have options. There’s Trent Murphy, Preston Smith, Junior Galette and rookie Ryan Anderson out of Alabama.

AD

AD

But all four of those starting candidates bring with them a number of questions.

Murphy comes off a career-best nine-sack season. He will miss the first four games of the season, however, while serving a suspension for violating the league’s policy for performance-enhancing drugs. Murphy came off the bench last season to rotate with Kerrigan and Smith but did most of his damage on the right side. However, he can’t be counted on as an option early in the season, and it remains to be seen if he can duplicate his 2016 success once he does return to the mix. (Murphy mustered just 5 1/2 sacks in his first and second seasons combined.)

Although Murphy will practice and play in the preseason, he basically has to be eliminated from starter contention for now.

AD

Smith returns for his third season, but it’s hard to say which Smith will show up this year. As a rookie out of Mississippi State, Smith recorded eight sacks (five in the final three regular season games). But he struggled mightily last season, managing just 4 1/2 sacks.

AD

The Redskins need Smith to become more disruptive, but there are questions about his work ethic. And uncertainty about his ability to take his game to the next level prompted Washington to draft Anderson in the second round.

Anderson doesn’t have the typical 3-4 edge rusher’s body. But the 6-foot-2, 253-pounder is relentless and plays with a nasty streak that has the Redskins convinced that he can be an impact player. However, it’s hard to say how quickly he’ll develop.

AD

During offseason practices, Anderson played behind Kerrigan and Smith as he learned the defense. But it’s expected that he’ll challenge Smith on that right side during training camp.

Both youngsters will face competition from a hungry Galette, however.

The former New Orleans Saint established himself as a fierce pass-rusher during his first five seasons. In 2013 and 2014, he recorded a combined 22 sacks and four forced fumbles. But Galette hasn’t played a regular season game since. He signed with Washington after falling out of favor with the Saints in the offseason of 2015, but he tore his left Achilles’ tendon late in the preseason. Galette worked his way back only to tear his right Achilles’ tendon just days before the start of 2016 training camp.

Galette spent the spring knocking off the rust as he lined up primarily behind Smith but now enters camp primed to contend for a key role on the defense.

AD

AD

It’s expected that Smith will get the first crack at the job, but he’ll have to fight to keep it.

Regardless of whether he holds onto that job, Manusky will find ways to use both Galette and Anderson. A former outside linebacker himself, Manusky is a fan of rotating his pass-rushers to keep them fresh and to keep the pressure on opposing offensive linemen. That approach helped Kerrigan record one of his better statistical seasons despite playing fewer snaps than he had any of his previous five.