Why the Redskins Defense will rank in the Top 10

Players:

Last Year's Starters:

DE: Phillip Daniels, Adam Carriker

NT: Anthony Bryant

OLB: Brian Orakpo, Lorenzo Alexander

ILB: London Fletcher, Rocky McIntosh

CB: DeAngelo Hall, Carlos Rogers

SS: LaRon Landry

FS: Kareem Moore

This Year's Probable Starters:

DE: Stephen Bowen, Jarvis Jenkins/Adam Carriker

NT: Barry Cofield

OLB: Brian Orakpo, Ryan Kerrigan

ILB: London Fletcher, Rocky McIntosh/Keyaron Fox

CB: DeAngelo Hall, Josh Wilson

SS: LaRon Landry

FS: OJ Atogwe

I could just stop there and let educated football readers see that it's obvious the Redskins are better, but I have to argue for a Top Ten defense in the National Football League.  So I'll begin by breaking down the positions.  

At DE, one of my favorite Redskins, Phillip Daniels is gone and replaced by a young and underrated Bowen. Then they are absolutely getting better at the other side with Adam Carriker in his 2nd year in this system, or the coaches have decided that the younger, Jarvis Jenkins is better at the position and thus an upgrade as well.  

The Redskins also took care of the Nose Tackle position by acquiring Barry Cofield from the NY Giants.  He is not your typical NT as a space eater, but he can in fact get after the quarterback while still holding his position with double teams to keep the linebackers clear.  This is an obvious upgrade over Bryant, or the "other" Nose Tackle from last year who shall remain nameless.

At OLB Orakpo is getting better each year at his coverage skills as well as learning how to rush from a 2 point stance.  I think he will benefit the most from having a stronger D-Line this year and will up his sack total from last year.  Another benefit to Orakpo will be having a legitimate pass rusher opposite him in Ryan Kerrigan.  He will have a learning curve as any rookie does, but he is learning fast and is a hard worker.  I see him being better at 75% than Alexander was at 100%.

Moving on to CB which may not be a huge upgrade with Hall still here and having Wilson in place of Rogers. I just see that the team loses some coverage with Wilson, but gains a capable Interceptor.  The biggest advantage this year will be if the D-Line and OLB can get a pass rush leading to less time covering for the DBs.

Lastly in the position breakdown is the Safeties.  Landry was already playing at a Pro-Bowl level last season before the injury and assuming he recovers I would guess he'll be right back at it.  Atogwe on the other hand is the perfect compliment to Landry as he is a great coverage safety and is known for his ballhawking skills.  Atogwe is a great upgrade over Moore and will surely make his impact felt in the form of turnovers and sure tackling.

Scheme:

Do not ever underestimate the importance of time.  This team for the most part has a full season under its belt now in Haslett's 3-4 system and should know the nuances of the schemes.  Orakpo has more experience as a LB, Bowen is a true 3-4 DE, and perhaps the most important is that they now have a strong NT to anchor the whole D.

Haslett emphasizes the power of the turnover, and though that can bite the team in the rear end at times, I see it paying off way more with Wilson and Atogwe in the defensive backfield.  They have greater hands than their predecessors and exhibit the aggressiveness that Haslett enjoys seeing in his defenses.

All of this should combine with a stronger team attitude and a happier locker room to have a Top Ten Defense this year.  If I'm wrong, come back and let me know it.