Though some in the mainstream media would disagree, for the most part, fans of the Washington Redskins seem to feel pretty good about what they came away with in the 2020 NFL Draft. While it may not stand up to the great success of the 2019 draft class, the talent at the top of the 2020 class will likely be a part of the Redskins organization for years to come.
Of course, winning and losing in the NFL isn’t based solely off of drafting talented players — you have to put it all together on the field in order to succeed. That’s one of the areas where Washington has struggled as of late, but things are hopefully getting set to turn around. With all 32 teams largely satisfied with their rosters going into the stretch run of the offseason, our friends over at Touchdown Wire broke down a power ranking of the league, judging how things currently stand.
For the Redskins, the result wasn’t great, but it may be better than you thought it would be. Touchdown Wire has Washington ranked as the 28th best team in the league, coming in right in front of the Carolina Panthers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Detroit Lions, and Cincinnati Bengals, giving them an A- for their 2020 draft.
When you add the likely best overall player at the top of the draft, you are off to a good start. The Washington Redskins did exactly that with the second pick in the draft, selecting Ohio State EDGE Chase Young. The defender impacts every single play whether it shows up in the score sheet next to his name or not, with the attention he commands and the effort expended to try and contain him. He will create opportunities for the rest of an already stout Washington defensive front, with players like Ryan Kerrigan and Montez Sweat.
Washington did not pick again until the third round, but the additions of Antonio Gibson, a matchup nightmare of an offensive weapon, along with Antonio Gandy-Golden give quarterback Dwayne Haskins some exciting options in the passing game. Adding them to a mix that already includes Terry McLaurin is a nice boost to the huddle. Tight end remains a need, but given the questions about this year’s class they did not force a pick at that position.
Also, let’s consider that Washington also did not chase the shiny object, by either drafting a quarterback at two like some recommended or trading out of the spot, risking that they would lose out on Young. They added a premier player at a premier position, and built around their rising second-year QB who did show improvement down the stretch. A reasoned approach that seems unlike the usual Dan Snyder decision. Which is a good thing.
It looks like people outside of Washington are starting to take notice of the change that coach Ron Rivera has brought with him to the Redskins organization. As time goes on, people will catch on. Just be patient, and watch as that power ranking starts to eventually rise over the next couple of years.
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