Redskins rookie Su'a Cravens got his first taste of NFL action last Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons, and for the most part he looked smooth in his professional debut, having played 24 snaps on defense and nine on special teams.
"I think I did pretty good during my first game, obviously I made a couple mistakes but overall I think I did alright," Cravens said.
Cravens caught the eye of NFL Media analyst Bucky Brooks, who was impressed by his performance against Atlanta. Brooks gave him a solid B grade for the night.
"Cravens' potential impact as a hybrid defender (linebacker/safety) made him a top priority for the Redskins on draft day," Brooks said. "The ex-USC standout immediately flashed his disruptive potential with a superb effort in his preseason debut against the Falcons on Thursday. The second-round pick notched three tackles (two for loss) and a pass breakup while wreaking havoc on Atlanta's offense as a sideline-to-sideline menace."
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden sided with Brooks when he was asked to assess Cravens' performance. Gruden loved Cravens' instinct and his fearlessness.
"When he's [Cravens] around the football, he makes plays," Gruden said. "He's batting balls down, and on a punt play, the guy cuts it back, one man to miss and he upends him. He makes his presence known. When you're on the sideline with all the stuff going on, guys flash and pop out at you and Su'a is one of them. He's all over the place. We've just got to keep coaching him up. Sometimes he's out of place, but he's out of place with great effort. That's for sure."
