If there was one position on Washington’s defense that needed an infusion of talent in the offseason, it was linebacker.
So, with its first-round pick in the 2021 NFL draft, the Football Team selected Kentucky linebacker, Jamin Davis.
Outside of veteran Jon Bostic, Washington has a young group of linebackers pushing to start this season, including Khaleke Hudson, Davis and Cole Holcomb.
Head coach Ron Rivera, a former linebacker himself, understands the position like no other. Not only did Rivera play the position at a high level in both college and the NFL, but he has also coached some great linebackers in the NFL.
Luke Kuechly is perhaps the greatest linebacker Rivera has ever coached. After selecting him in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft, Kuechly would go on to play eight seasons in the NFL — all with the Carolina Panthers — before retiring after the 2019 season.
Rivera, a guest speaker at Joe Gibbs’ Youth For Tomorrow event on Saturday, revealed he brought Kuechly to talk to his linebackers over the Memorial Day weekend.
What did Kuechly say to WFT’s linebackers?
According to Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post, he spoke of the importance of being able to play all three linebacker spots — something Rivera has stressed since Washington selected Davis in April.
Since Rivera took over as head coach last season, he has often spoken about versatility. The players he targets in free agency and the draft are generally players who can play multiple positions.
Bringing in Kuechly was another smart move by Rivera. It’s a player who recently retired that all of his players watched at one time or another, meaning his words carry weight.
The battle at linebacker will be fascinating to watch this summer. Holcomb and Davis are two of the likely starters. Can a player like Hudson unseat Bostic, leaving Davis in the middle?
Ideally, that’s what Washington is hoping for in 2021.