IDP Spotlight: S Chris Horton, Washington Redskins

  Posted 8/13 by Jeff Pasquino - Exclusive to Footballguys.com

About this time last year, Chris Horton was a late (seventh) round draft pick out of UCLA that some wondered if he would even make the final cuts for the Redskins. Fortunately for him and the NFL, he made it and he excelled in his first season, eventually displacing Reed Doughty and becoming the starting strong safety in Washington.

Horton split time last year in September before getting the true nod as the starter, but by Week 5 he started to put up some solid performances. In the middle of last season, Horton played his best stretch of the year, collecting 41 solo tackles, 12 assists, two passes defensed and an interception between Week 5 and Week 13. After that point of the year, the long NFL grind started to catch up with Horton and he missed some time down the stretch. His season totals (57 solo tackles, 19 assists) in 14 games do not quite tell the full story of what he is capable of posting over the course of a full season. Even with his first year struggles, Horton finished in the Top 30 for defensive backs. If Horton can replicate that eight game stretch for a full season, a Top 10 finish is well within his reach.

Positives

• Chris Horton proved himself to be more than capable of being selected in the NFL Draft last season - he seized the chance to make a splash in August for the Redskins and won the strong safety job.
• Originally thought to be in a camp battle again in 2009, Horton was already named the starting strong safety over Reed Doughty and can focus on improving his play throughout Training Camp.
• Horton is a big play guy and a difference maker, capable of making an impact (literally and figuratively) on any down and distance. His game is strong in both coverage and in hitting for run support so he rarely if ever comes off the field when Washington is on defense.

Negatives

• Reed Doughty was the starter just over 12 months ago for the Redskins, and now that he is at full strength he could try and unseat the young Horton to start - but that does appear unlikely.
• Horton is in his second year, and now that the rest of the league has a good scouting report on him, veteran QBs may start to see tendencies like jumping routes and exploit them.
• The Redskins bolstered their front seven significantly this offseason, drafting Brian Orakpo and adding big Albert Haynesworth for their defensive line. That could mean fewer tackle opportunities for Horton.
  

Final Thoughts

Chris Horton is lined up to have a strong second campaign in the NFL. He is already locked in as the starter for Washington at strong safety, and the Redskins will have him patrolling the secondary to make plays for them all year. Horton now knows what it is like to endure for a long professional season and he is ready to go for the full 16 game schedule. The additions of Haynesworth and Orakpo may appear to be a bad sign for his tackle numbers, but the upside of those better players is that Horton will be given more freedom to look for big play opportunities in the secondary. Horton plays with a reckless abandon, yet under control - much like Troy Polamalu. While it is still far too early in Horton's young career to make that kind of comparison, if he starts to make big plays late in games against teams like Dallas, Philadelphia and the Giants, he will be catching many eyes and everyone will take notice. This could be the last time that Horton can be selected outside of the Top 12 fantasy safeties, so grab the undervalued player when you can.

Quotes from the IDP Spotlight Message Thread

To view the entire thread, click here.

Larry Thomas:
"Like Quintin Demps/Sean Jones, the Chris Horton / Reed Doughty is another interesting IDP position battle to watch this summer. IMO Landry should be the SS, but he is their best cover guy. Horton looked impressive at times last year, but his lack of coverage skills may have been exploited as the season progressed. Coming out of UCLA, some scouts felt he may be better suited to bulk up and play WLB in the pros so his coverage limitations could be masked. I know it sounds like a broken record, but in today's NFL the SS needs to have better cover skills than in the past. If Reed Doughty can return fully healthy from back surgery, this could turn out to be an ugly platoon situation. I expect Horton to win out here, he has nice upside, but comes with some risk. Needs to improve in coverage to be the long term answer."

Aaron Rudnicki:
"Despite entering the league a year ago as an unheralded 7th round rookie safety, Horton started week 2 against the Saints and made a huge contribution with 2 interceptions and a forced fumble. He followed that up with another interception in week 4 that started off an impressive 6-week stretch of games where he was one of the most productive IDPs in the league. His production became more inconsistent later in the year but he showed enough potential to give fantasy players hope that he could be a headed for a breakout season this year. With LaRon Landry patrolling the deep secondary, Horton is allowed to play up closer to the line of scrimmage. The additions of Albert Haynesworth and Brian Orakpo should allow the Redskins to be more aggressive up front and help create plenty of great opportunities for this young playmaker."

Projections

IDP Scoring System

• 1.5 pts per Solo Tackle
• 0.75 pts per Assisted Tackle
• 4 pts per Sack
• 4 pts per Forced Fumble
• 4 pts per Fumble Recovery
• 5 pts per Interception
• 1.5 pts per Pass Defensed
• 6 pts per Touchdown
• 2 pts per Safety