The Redskins are one of the more intriguing teams in the NFL when it comes to what they might do in the first round of the draft this year.
The Washington Redskins have been at the center of attention as much as any other team in the NFL this offseason, as everyone ponders what new head coach Ron Rivera is going to do with the second overall pick.
The conventional wisdom says that Washington will select Ohio State’s Chase Young at No. 2, as he is arguably the best player in the draft, and it’s hard to pass up on that rare talent. However, a lot of buzz has been growing around Alabama’s QB Tua Tagovailoa, as the Redskins have stated that they plan to meet with him and kick the tires over the coming months ahead of the draft. This statement is likely being done in order to boost the trade value of their No. 2 pick, driving up the price for anyone who wishes to move up in the first round in order to snag their hopeful franchise QB. This brings us to the next possibility for the Redskins; should they trade the pick and are unable to find a miraculous scenario where they can still get Young in the first round, there are a number of ways they can go, likely with the No. 5 pick. With major needs at linebacker, cornerback, and offensive line — should Trent Williams depart — the Redskins have exemplary prospects to look at now, in Isaiah Williams, Jeffery Okudah and Andrew Thomas.
Depending on how the next several weeks shake out, both in free agency and the ramped-up action as we head towards the draft, any number of things could happen with the first pick. However, after the first round is in the rearview, the draft really begins for the Redskins. 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 stockpile of picks; Washington doesn’t have a second- or sixth-rounder, but they do have two seventh-rounders.
Here’s who we came away with in this post-combine haul.
2. DE Chase Young, Ohio State
66. TE Adam Trautman, Dayton
98. OT Isaiah Willson, Georgia
130. WR K.J. Hill, Ohio State
193. LB Kamal Martin, Minnesota
206. OT Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon
Analysis
Like I said earlier, there are a number of ways in which Washington could go in the first round, but until we hear anything substantial about them having a trade suitor for their first pick, I am playing it safe and taking Young. From there, the Redskins can focus on their primary needs, and tight end is possibly the biggest one, depending on what happens in free agency later this month. Trautman is there for the taking in the third round, but should a big-time free agent like Hunter Henry be signed ahead of the draft, I don’t expect the Redskins to reach this high for a pass-catcher. Rather, it feels likely that they could go with CB Troy Pride Jr., out of Notre Dame, or OT Saahdiq Charles, out of LSU.
In Round 4, following the flow of our mock, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Redskins look to go heavy on the offensive line and find an eventual replacement for Trent Williams. We grabbed Isaiah Willson out of Georgia. At 6-foot-7 and 340 pounds, Wilson is a monster on the QB’s blindside, and he has quick feet that allow him to shift with an edge rusher on the outside.
Next to Young at No. 2, arguably the most anticipated pick for the Redskins comes in the fourth-round, where we expect them to grab Ohio State’s K.J. Hill, a player who is close with Washington QB Dwayne Haskins, and played alongside Terry McLaurin and Young in college. Hill is dangerous when in the open field, and his vertical release puts pressure on the defense out on the numbers. The players in Washington are high on Hill, and they hope that he can be the next McLaurin for the Redskins.
In the seventh-round, Kamal Martin is an explosive tackler that can put you on your back quickly, and he excels as a blitzer, which would be dangerous with the Redskins’ front four, playing alongside Cole Holcomb and Reuben Foster. Unlike some of the top prospects at the position, Martin does struggle a bit when asked to drop back into coverage, but that can be learned for a young player, and DC Jack Del Rio would find a way to make the most of him.
To wrap up the Redskins’ draft, I went with another lineman, because you can never have enough depth upfront. Calvin Throckmorton is one of the most intriguing blockers in the draft, specifically due to his ability to move around on the front line and play different positions. During his four years at Oregon, Throckmorton spent significant time at four separate positions as he was asked to shift around and fill areas of need, and he was graded out as the top offensive lineman in the Pac-12 in 2018. Any Washington fan knows how easy things can fall apart should a lineman get injured, but having Throckmorton would allow them to plug him in where necessary and not miss a beat.
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