In most mock drafts, you’ll see the Washington Football Team selecting an offensive tackle in the first or second round of the 2021 NFL draft. Washington needs to address the left tackle position in 2021, so picking one early in the draft makes sense.
According to John Keim of ESPN, Washington reportedly engaged with the Baltimore Ravens about a potential trade for offensive tackle Orlando Brown before his trade to the Kansas City Chiefs.
It’s uncertain how serious Washington was about Brown as the team quickly realized the cost for the 24-year-old Brown was more than it was willing to pay. In addition to giving up a first-round pick, the Football Team would’ve needed to sign Brown to a lucrative long-term deal, likely commensurate to some of the top offensive tackles in the league.
That wasn’t happening in Washington.
Washington did have discussions about trading for Orlando Brown. But: thought of giving up 19th plus more plus a big contract put the brakes on it.
— John Keim (@john_keim) April 23, 2021
It was smart for the WFT to inquire about Brown. He’s a talented player — and young. However, giving up a first-round wasn’t going to happen for anything other than a proven quarterback this year.
Now, it’s time to turn back to the NFL draft where Washington has done plenty of homework on all of the top offensive tackle prospects. If the team doesn’t go with an offensive lineman in the first round, it could choose to address the position with a high-ceiling player like Spencer Brown of Northern Iowa in the second or third round.
At 6-foot-8, 311 pounds, Brown is massive and is a rare athlete for a man of his size. He also possesses the requisite arm length at offensive tackle.
One thing is certain, Washington will acquire an offensive tackle at some point in the 2021 NFL draft.