We are now less than a week away from the 2020 NFL Draft finally kicking off, giving us all a few days of reprieve from this vast sporting wasteland and supplying us with a load of much-needed content to debate for the coming weeks.
With a litany of roster needs and a slightly deprived stock of draft picks, the Washington Redskins will have to navigate the 2020 draft very carefully, as they look to do what they can to target valuable assets in the middle or late rounds and hit on players who they haven’t had the chance to meet with in person. It will be a difficult draft for all 32 teams, and coaches will have to rely on their scouting department now more than ever.
To help make clear which players might land in Washington, we put together a mock draft with the help of The Draft Network’s mock draft machine. Going seven rounds, we addressed the Redskins’ biggest needs with their handful of picks; Washington doesn’t have a second- or sixth-rounder, but they do have two fourths, and two seventh-rounders.
Round 1 — Pick 2: DE Chase Young (Ohio State)
An easy pick that has been run into the ground at this point. If you don’t yet know what the Redskins plan to pick Chase Young at No. 2, then you seriously need to get your head out of the sand.
Round 3 — Pick 66: CB Bryce Hall (Virginia)
Some believe that Hall would be one of the top-rated cornerbacks in this draft class if it weren’t for an ankle injury that ended his season in Virginia. If the Redskins are able to snag him in the third round, they need to take that value and run with it.
Round 4 — Pick 108: TE Hunter Bryant (Washington)
You could argue going with a wide receiver at this spot over a tight end, but the depth at the WR position in this class led us to go with the latter, and Bryant is a good-sized pass-catcher who can block extremely well and has a chance to play big minutes early on.
Round 4 — Pick 142: WR Collin Johnson (Texas)
This is what I mean about an incredibly deep WR class. Johnson has some great size (6-foot-6, 225 pounds) and showed throughout college his impressive ability to go up and get the ball. Yet, few people have even heard his name ahead of the 2020 draft due to the talent up top. With a major need at WR, the Redskins are in a unique position where they can wait until the middle rounds and still get some great value at the position.
Round 5 — Pick 162: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden (Liberty)
The same things I said about value for Johnson can be applied here for Gandy Golden as well. Though he isn’t as big as Johnson (6-foot-4, 225 pounds) Gandy Golden is quick and has great hands and a solid release on the outside. Bolstering the WR corps with these two would be a huge win for the Redskins.
Round 7 — Pick 216: OL Yasir Durant (Missouri)
Yasir Durant is a big-bodied offensive lineman who is versatile and can switch positions with ease, playing wherever the Redskins may need him. At the moment, that is at the left tackle position, but it’s hard to project a seventh-round rookie will pencil into the starting spot right away. But while he’s cutting his teeth in the NFL, Durant’s versatility will allow him to move around the front line and fill in where injuries may bring up a need.
Round 7 — Pick 229: OL Calvin Throckmorton (Oregon)
Again, much like we said for Durant, a lot of the same versatility notes can be reserved for Throckmorton as well. At Oregon, he spent time at almost every position on the front line, offering as a reliable player that could be plugged in to fill any hole. For the first couple of years of his NFL career, Throckmorton could be used as a do-it-all lineman who plugs in where he’s needed, and eventually he will find his spot in the starting lineup.
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