Who wins the battle at nose tackle: Phil Taylor, A.J. Francis, or Joey Mbu?

Who is the player that will anchor the nose tackle position for the Washington Redskins? That is the question. Under the direction of new Defensive Coordinator Greg Manusky and Defensive Line Coach Jim Tomsula, the Redskins are trying to find a guy to anchor the middle of the defensive line.

Two of the guys vying for the number one spot this season are players with ties to the DMV area. Phil Taylor Sr. hails from Brandywine, Md., and played his college ball at Baylor. He was drafted in the 2011 draft 21st overall by the Cleveland Browns and spent four seasons with them. After not being on an NFL roster for the 2015 season, he was signed by the Broncos in the 2016 offseason. A knee injury in training camp put him on IR to end his season. He signed a futured deal with the Redskins after telling people he was retired.

Stats Courtesy: Pro-Football Reference

The 6-foot-3, 337 pound nose tackle is fighting for that number one spot and it means more for him since his time ended in Cleveland due to his lack of availability because of injury. This is going to be his opportunity to prove he can be a valuable asset when healthy as he is now a veteran in the league.

A.J. Francis is entering his fourth year in the NFL. He played his college football with the Maryland Terrapins and came into the league as an undrafted free agent with the Miami Dolphins in 2013. Francis spent two years with the Dolphins before joining the Seahawks in 2015, and the Redskins last year. He is looking to get his NFL career off the ground as he has only been active for three games in four years and the Washington Redskins are his third team.

Joey Mbu was the recipient of the first Mason/Brennan Preseason Hype! Award for 2017. He was another undrafted free agent, plsying his college ball at Houston. He was signed by the Atlanta Falcons after the 2015 draft. He made the roster late in the season after starting on the practice squad. The Redskins picked him up last season for their practice squad. Mbu is fighting to show Tomsula that he belongs on his defensive line.