The Washington Redskins 2019 draft class was highly successful, especially at the wide receiver position. While dealing with a spotty track record of selecting pass-catchers who are unable to realize their full potential in the NFL — ie. Josh Doctson — Washington was able to add Terry McLaurin and Kelvin Harmon to the roster, while Steven Sims Jr. helped to bolster the depth chart as an undrafted free agent.
In 2020, however, the WR position still remains an area of need. The Redskins cut ties with both Paul Richardson Jr. and Jordan Reed recently, and they’ll surely be looking to add a veteran WR1 or WR2 in free agency. The 2020 NFL Draft will also give them a great crop of pass-catchers to choose from as well.
According to The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler, this year’s draft is uncommonly stacked with receivers. In most years, there are on average 12.2 receivers drafted within the first 100 players off the board, but this year’s class is expected to see more than 20 WRs selected by then. For a team like Washington, this is a big opportunity, writes The Athletic‘s Ben Standig:
This data bodes well for a team like Washington that needs a viable target option opposite 2019 third-round selection and rookie dynamo Terry McLaurin. Ideally, that person comes with NFL experience since, along with McLaurin, the Redskins’ receiver depth chart is nothing but kids. Problem: There’s a precipitous drop in the free-agent pool after the top 3-4 candidates.
No such issue in the draft, which means Washington could use its Day 2 pick (66 overall) on another need area and feel comfortable landing a WR later.
A few of the names that the Redskins may be targeting are Ohio State’s K.J. Hill, Liberty’s Antonio Gandy-Golden, Notre Dame’s Chase Claypool, and LSU’s Justin Jefferson. Regardless of who they pick, though, Kyle Smith and the rest of the Redskins’ draft experts have shown the ability to find great talent in the later rounds of the draft, so it’s safe to feel confident that they will be able to grab a difference-maker.
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