Geron Christian is finally Washington’s starting left tackle, and he wants to stay there

In his first two seasons, Christian said he didn’t reach his potential because he wasn’t prepared. He hadn’t expected a chance to play with veterans such as Williams and Morgan Moses entrenched at the tackle positions. When one came open last season as Williams warred with the front office, Christian let it slip away.

“I should’ve just prepared harder and been in a better mind-set,” he later admitted.

This camp, Christian was supposed to battle for the starting left tackle job. But fourth-round draft pick Saahdiq Charles was hurt, and journeyman Cornelius Lucas took few reps with the first team. Christian locked in, and he thought the stability changed everything. He focused on new techniques, repeating them to become more consistent, and coaches noticed. Offensive coordinator Scott Turner mentioned during the preseason how much Christian had improved.

Christian wants to make the most of an opportunity come at last.

“Yeah, it’s a big moment,” he said, “[but] I came in this year knowing what I was going to do. It has helped my game elevate.”

But in Washington’s season-opening win over the Philadelphia Eagles, Christian struggled early. He mixed up an assignment on the first drive, leading to a tackle-for-loss, and finished with a stat line of one sack and three pressures allowed, according to Pro Football Focus. Yet Coach Ron Rivera praised the way Christian recovered, complimenting his play for the last 2½ quarters. He grouped left guard Wes Martin in with Christian, and he continued to preach patience for both of them.

“They didn’t play very well at the beginning of the game. I think it might’ve been jitters,” he said. “But … they came out and played some pretty good football from that point on. Hopefully, they’ll continue that trend. … Like I said, the biggest thing to me for those guys is really just seeing improvement.”

For Christian, this is all part of a learning process. After the departure of Bill Callahan, regarded as one of the league’s best offensive line coaches, the team overhauled its scheme under new position coach John Matsko. There are new techniques with steps, hands and angles, and Christian believed it would take time to settle in.

If you want to see how Christian is progressing, watch his hands. Last year, he said, he was too patient with them, which sometimes left him with bad positions against defenders. Now he’s using them quicker and more often, landing stronger, more direct punches. The new system plays to Christian’s strength — his athleticism — because the vertical set he uses most often puts him in space against defenders.

In pass protection, Matsko told him to block at a deeper angle than normal. This means he kicks backward and outward from the line at the snap, and it’s a different approach than Williams often had under Callahan, when he “jump set,” or took the fight to the defender. Christian said the deeper angle on his set is to expand the pocket for quarterback Dwayne Haskins.

“All around, I’m in a way better place and farther along than last year, honestly,” Christian said. “I don’t feel like it really compares.”

For now, there are still some hiccups. Christian criticized his own inconsistency with technique, muttering there’s “still some things to clean up.” The different combinations Washington tried on the offensive line, particularly on the left side, slowed some of the chemistry-building process during the preseason. Martin has endured similar struggles to Christian.

Yet Christian tries not to think about the things he cannot control. He’s happy as long as he’s aggressive, as long as he’s using his hands, as long he’s not committing mental mistakes. He still watches film of Donald Penn, the veteran signed last preseason to start at left tackle. He said he calls Penn and Williams to ask about technique often.

“I tell everybody, I’m really appreciative of the situation I’ve been in,” Christian said of backing up Williams and Penn. “I feel like being able to be around those guys, build those relationships, helped put me in a better position right now.”

Christian studies his predecessors because he wants to stay where he is. Every day, he shows up to the facility as the starting left tackle in Washington. This is the role — and the stability — he always dreamed about. Yet, he said, he also knows it’s fragile. He wants to prove he was worth the wait, and he knows he must show it with his play on the field.