A year ago, in one of the first dozen posts in The Wildcard’s history, I listed my Top 25 DC sports players under the age of 25. In what I am now establishing as a new annual tradition, this list will provide a glimpse at where the young talent among the four major DC sports teams stand against each other.
This list does not rank the potential of each player, but rather where each player currently stands based on their performance from the past year. To see last year’s list, click here. If the player was under 25 as of Jan. 1, 2021, they qualify for this list.
Amazingly, only two players from last year’s list “graduated.” Jonathan Allen (2020 No. 2) and Terry McLaurin (2020 No. 4) are now both 25 and no longer eligible to be included on this list, opening two top five slots from the get-go. Despite only two players exceeding eligibility, there are eight new faces on this list.
The other six spots opened due to eligible players who fell out of the rankings for one of several possible reasons. Here are the six that fell out:
- Washington QB Dwayne Haskins Jr.* (2020 No. 13)
- Washington WR Kelvin Harmon* (2020 No. 18)
- Washington OT Geron Christian (2020 No. 19)
- Washington OG Wes Martin (2020 No. 20)
- Wizards F Admiral Schofield* (2020 No. 22)
- Capitals C Connor McMichael (2020 No. 25)
McMichael was 25th on the list last year despite not playing in the NHL or even the AHL. The fact of the matter is it was way too premature to list him despite his incredible season in the OHL, so he didn’t do anything poorly to lead to his exit from the list; there were just more deserving players ahead of him. As long as he remains in the Caps organization, expect to see him back on this list (and perhaps near the top) in the next few years.
Schofield was traded away in the Cassius Winston deal and no longer qualifies for this list, but even if he was still on the Wizards, he would have fallen out. Schofield was on the edge last year as well, and his limited role with the Wizards allowed more people to pass him.
Harmon, meanwhile, tore his ACL over the summer and was unfortunately unable to play this year. It’s pretty difficult to get back on this list if you don’t play, but hopefully the recovered Harmon (still just 23) will make a return to the field and this list next year.
The three other departures, meanwhile, fell off due to their play. Haskins lost the starting job in Washington, and had not one, but two COVID-19 infractions, showing a complete lack of maturity off the field and an inability to prove himself as a true starter on the field. He was released just 20 months after being drafted.
Martin and Christian have been turnstiles on the offensive line. Both entered the season with tremendous opportunities to establish themselves as key players on the line opposite Morgan Moses and First Team All-Pro(!) Brandon Scherff. Instead, both rated as the two worst offensive linemen in the entire National Football League, and lost their roles in the offense.
Now that we’ve established the eight departures, without further ado, here is The Wildcard’s “Top 25 under 25” list for 2021:
25. Capitals D Martin Fehervary, 21|Last year: No. 24
24. Wizards F/C Moe Wagner, 23|Last year: No. 15
23. Wizards G Jerome Robinson, 23|Last year: N/A
22. Nationals 3B Carter Kieboom, 23|Last year: No. 23
Fehervary is right on the edge of becoming a full-time NHL defenseman, and could see some time at the top level this season, although the addition of Zdeno Chara could bury him even further down the depth chart. Fehervary is a work-in-progress, but profiles as a future top four blue liner.
Wagner has barely appeared in the Wizards first few games and appears to have taken a step back in Washington’s rotation. He’ll have a chance to get on the court more at some point this season, but the front court is already crowded… Robinson plays minimal minutes off the bench and was added from the Clippers last season. He won’t be anything more than a depth guard.
Kieboom was tapped to take over at third base full-time in 2020, but he struggled in his first full MLB season, batting just .202 without any home runs in 99 at bats. He may have a chance to establish himself in Washington in 2021, but there’s already talk about bringing in a replacement.
21. Wizards F Isaac Bonga, 21|Last year: No. 17
20. Washington WR Steven Sims Jr., 23|Last year: No. 16
19. Nationals 2B Luis Garcia, 20|Last year: N/A
18. Washington LB Khaleke Hudson, 23|Last year: N/A
17. Washington WR Cam Sims, 24*|Last year: unranked
Bonga received starting nods in Hachimura’s absence but has barely played in recent games. It’s his third NBA season and he’s still just 21, meaning there’s still plenty of time for growth, but the growing pains are apparent and lead to multiple sloppy plays when he’s on the floor. He has a ways to go.
Steven Sims was injured for a chunk of the 2020 season but has returned to receiving/returning duties. He has not had a huge impact on the offense, but I blame that more on quarterbacking play. Still, he has dropped numerous catchable catches and has muffed several kicks this season, contributing to his drop from last year. It should be easier for Sims to find his footing next season.
Garcia was rushed into the majors after Starlin Castro broke his wrist early in the season, and he had the distinction of becoming the first player born in the 2000s to hit a home run in Major League Baseball. Garcia will likely play a bench role in 2021, but he should be a key part of the Nats infield in the coming years… Hudson has gained more playing time with injuries to the linebacking corps and has thrived on special teams. The 2020 fifth-round pick could take a huge leap in 2021.
Cam Sims has emerged as the clear No. 2 wide receiver behind McLaurin. Tight end Logan Thomas and receiving back JD McKissic receive more targets, but Sims has been the secondary wideout this year. The undrafted Alabama product has tried to crack onto the NFL roster several times and finally got his shot. He barely makes this list as he turned 25 two days ago.
16. Wizards F Troy Brown Jr., 21|Last year: No. 14
15. Capitals D Jonas Siegenthaler, 23|Last year: No. 9
14. Washington DT Tim Settle, 23|Last year: No. 21
13. Wizards F Deni Avdija, 19|Last year: N/A
12. Nationals OF Victor Robles, 23|Last year: No. 5
11. Washington LB Cole Holcomb, 24|Last year: No. 10
Brown is another young third-year pro that has a solid defensive game, but has otherwise struggled to start the 2020-21 season. A leap in production would help the 2-6 Wizards tremendously (if Brooks gives him more playing time again)… Siegenthaler would be a staple on the bottom pair of the defense once again if Chara was not in the picture, so hopefully his development won’t be hindered too much by the drop off in playing time.
Settle has excelled in a reserve role on the defensive line, racking up 5.0 sacks and 19 combined tackles. It’s hard to stand out in such a loaded defensive front, but Settle has gotten better every season and could be in for a larger role if the team can’t retain all of their former first-round picks when their contracts are up… Avdija has already established himself as the Wizards’ starting small forward, and while the rookie still needs much more experience before we can get a true read on him, he should only get better as the season goes on.
Robles was ranked fifth last year, but a down year at the plate and in the field has dropped him down to 12. There’s no reason he can’t get back toward the top of the list. He must return to form as the best defensive center fielder in baseball and make strides at the plate if the Nats want to contend again… Holcomb spent most of the early season injured but has since returned as a starting outside linebacker in the defense’s 4-3 formation. He’s among the team’s leading tacklers on a game-to-game basis (72 on the season) and looks even more like the fifth-round steal that he was last year.
10. Wizards C Thomas Bryant, 23|Last year: No. 7
Bryant has had an up-and-down start to his career, but at just 23 he has established himself as the top big man in Washington. His defensive game needs to improve, but offensively Bryant makes his presence known around the rim and has a clean stroke when shooting from outside. He should thrive as a secondary scoring option behind Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal.
9. Washington RB Antonio Gibson, 22|Last year: N/A
Gibby was a pleasant surprise this year. I labeled him as the worst value pick in the 2020 draft class because the running back room seemed so loaded, and I wasn’t sure Gibson would make a big impact right away. Then Derrius Guice got released and Bryce Love remained injured, and Gibson established himself as a top rookie running back, finishing the year with over 1,000 scrimmage yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 full games. A turf toe injury late in the season hindered his momentum, but he’ll be relied on to boost the offense against Tampa in this weekend’s Wild Card game.
8. Washington DT Daron Payne, 23|Last year: No. 12
Payne is yet another dominant force on the Washington defensive line, serving as the premier run-stopper of the unit. He doesn’t get the same recognition as the rest of the players on the line, but he gets tackles (54 combined, 3.0 sacks) and has proven to be a solid investment since Washington took him 13th overall in 2018.
7. Wizards F Rui Hachimura, 22|Last year: No. 8
Hachimura had a strong rookie campaign last year, earning himself Second Team All-Rookie honors, and he’ll continue to take steps forward as he becomes one of the top options in the Wizards’ front court. With Beal and Davis Bertans sitting out of the NBA Bubble, Hachimura was able to shine against playoff-caliber opponents (14.4 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game) and was consistently the best all-around player on the team. With Westbrook now in the mix, Year Two could be very exciting for the Japanese forward once he gets back up to speed.
6. Washington S Kamren Curl, 21|Last year: N/A
There were not many expectations for Curl when he was selected in the seventh-round this year out of Arkansas, but after Landon Collins went down for the year with an Achilles injury, Curl was elevated to a starting role and thrived. He led the team in solo tackles (63) and was second behind Kendall Fuller with three interceptions. While some may argue (in vain) that Panthers safety Jeremy Chinn deserves DROY honors over Chase Young, Chinn may not even be the best rookie safety when comparing his numbers with Curl’s:
5. Capitals G Ilya Samsonov, 23|Last year: No. 6
Samsonov enters his second season with the Capitals with much more responsibility than he had last year. Initially expected to split time with future Hall of Famer Henrik Lundqvist, the King’s recently diagnosed heart condition has sidelined him for the season, and Samsonov will be forced to shoulder the role as the full-fledged No. 1 netminder. He impressed in his first NHL season and — despite the limited experience — is one of the best young talents in Washington this year.
4. Capitals LW Jakub Vrana, 24|Last year: No. 3
It’s hard to believe Vrana is just 24 since he’s been an established top six forward for a few years now. He did not have a great stint in the 2020 NHL Bubble, highlighted by a crucial missed shot in overtime of Game 3 that would have cut the first-round series deficit to 2-1 against the New York Islanders. Still, Vrana set new career-highs in goals, assists and points despite the shortened regular season and will continue to improve as one of the few young pieces on an old Capitals roster.
3. Washington DE Chase Young, 21|Last year: N/A
It’s hard to put up insane numbers when you’re getting double- and triple-teamed as a rookie, but Young still opens his career in a top three spot on this list. The favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year finished the regular season with 7.5 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and a touchdown. Young made numerous impact plays that this defense needs, and became the team’s first rookie Pro Bowler since Robert Griffin III in 2012. He’ll be a mainstay at the top of this list for his remaining three years of eligibility.
2. Washington DE Montez Sweat, 24|Last year: No. 11
The second-year pass rusher takes a big leap this year as he establishes himself as one of the best players on the Washington Football Team. He led the team with 9.0 sacks and was first among front seven players with six passes defended. Looking past the stat sheet, Sweat made impact plays down the stretch that played a big role in the team’s four-game winning streak, including a late pick-six against Dallas on Thanksgiving. While I have Sweat barely edging out Young this year, the two should be staples on this defensive line for years to come.
1. Nationals OF Juan Soto, 22|Last year: No. 1
Soto retains his top spot from last year, and in all likelihood, will probably remain at the top until he ages out of this list. Despite being just 22 years old, Soto has established himself as arguably the best hitter in Major League Baseball, and is one of the biggest stars in the game. He finished fifth in MVP voting in 2020 despite playing just 47 games, and likely would have finished in the top three had he played a full 60 games. As long as he continues to wear a Nationals uniform, he’ll be among the biggest stars in DC.
Cover Photo Credit: L – Christian Peterson/Getty Images; R – Ashley Landis/Getty Images
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