ASHBURN, Va. -- Washington Redskins coach Jay Gruden singled him out, an example of a late-round pick who looked good in the spring. Rookie safety Kyshoen Jarrett impressed the coaches with his work on special teams and with his play on defense.
It’s hard to tell a whole lot about the special teams in the spring. And his defense might change once the game gets faster in August. But he has been involved in positive plays, and one stood out in particular Wednesday. It was subtle and had nothing to do with his skill, but it was a terrific example of teamwork and communication.
The play ended with Da'Mon Cromartie-Smith defending a corner pass in the end zone to receiver Colin Lockett. The coverage was perfect and Cromartie-Smith, a corner, turned around at the exact right moment to nearly intercept the ball.
But the reason he turned around? Because Jarrett was sprinting over and yelling, "Ball! Ball! Ball!" And that prompted a big reaction from his teammates. Secondary coach Perry Fewell shouted praise to Cromartie-Smith and Jarrett's assist was not all that noticeable to others. But I was standing nearby and could hear it, and that type of play is something that coaches notice over time.
"Kyshoen has done an excellent job, man. He's fast. He's flying around. He's making his presence known on special teams," Gruden said. "I mentioned that the late-round picks [are] going to have to make their mark on special teams, and Kyshoen has done that."
Gruden also mentioned Tevin Mitchel, who had a terrific pick in the end zone Wednesday. Mitchel has worked a lot in the slot.
"Tevin Mitchel at the nickel and playing corner has really done some good things also," Gruden said. "He's learning a new system and he's playing two or three different positions, so he's been very impressive."
