The Washington Redskins have made their final pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, bringing this much-needed sporting event to a close in Washington. It was extremely obvious early on that the Redskins were determined to draft versatile players who can play multiple positions on the field, working to increase their depth across the roster and fill holes where they will eventually arise.
All in all, I would give the Redskins a B+ for their 2020 draft class. With fantastic offensive finds, plus the addition of the overall best player in the draft in Chase Young, Washington for sure added three players who could potentially be difference makers in their rookie seasons. However, after that, they changed things up a bit and selected players, not for roster needs, but rather depth in a few key areas on both offense and defense.
So who was our favorite pick, and where do they all grade out? Here’s our final grades for the 2020 NFL Draft.
Round 1: DE Chase Young — Ohio State
Grade: A
Drafting Chase Young with the No. 2 overall pick was an easy decision to make, and one that the Redskins did quickly. While a few teams were calling and offering trades in order to move up to the second spot, Washington never had any intention of going with someone other than Young, he was always their man.
Chase will instantly slot into the starting defensive end spot opposite Montez Sweat, and he will only help bolster an already stacked defensive front seven for the Redskins. Whenever you can get the best overall player in the draft with the second pick, you know you’ve done something right.
Round 3: RB Antonio Gibson — Memphis
Grade: A-
The selection of Antonio Gibson may have turned a few heads when it happened in the third round, but once fans got a glimpse of his college highlights, they were happy to hop on board. Gibson is a dynamic runner with receiver skills to boot. The young playmaker fancies himself as an offensive weapon or a Swiss Army knife, and he models his game after Carolina Panthers RB Christian McCaffrey.
Luckily for the Redskins, they have the coaching staff who helped to turn McCaffrey into what he is, and they will now be tasked with doing the same for Gibson. The rookie will immediately slot into the pass-catching RB role that has been left vacant by Chris Thompson, and he will shoulder a return load on Special Teams as well.
Round 4: OT Saahdiq Charles — LSU
Grade: B-
There may not have been a more hectic moment on social media for Redskins fans than during the span of 5 minutes when the team traded away veteran LT Trent Williams, and drafted LSU OT Saahdiq Charles. Though it may seem like Charles will be the logical next starting LT, it may not come to fruition right away. While Charles has some great physical abilities, there have been questions about his maturity in college, which likely caused him to fall. At LSU, he often struggled with grades, and he once served a multi-game suspension for disciplinary reasons. However, Ron Rivera should be able to take care of that if it pops up, so down the road, Washington will likely have a solid tackle.
Round 4: WR Antonio Gandy-Golden — Liberty
Grade: A+
Antonio Gandy-Golden may have been my favorite pick of the draft for the Redskins, outside of Chase Young of course. Many draft analysts have said that in any other year, with less receiver talent available, AGG would have been a solid second-round pick. It just so happens that he came out in a year where receivers were running rampant. Lucky for Washington, they got an absolute game-changer in the fourth round who can line up outside opposite Terry McLaurin and take the cap off the defense. He may not have faced the toughest competition in college, but his combination of hand skills and foot talent set him up for a big rookie year in Washington.
Round 5: C Keith Ismael — San Diego State
Grade: C-
If AGG was my favorite pick of the draft, Keith Ismael was my least favorite pick. It was a bit head-scratching to select a back-up lineman with this valuable of a pick, but Rivera and Smith seemed comfortable with the versatility and reliability that Ismael brings. While he won’t start right away, Ismael possesses the ability to move around on the offensive line — he played at both right and left guard in college — and fill holes where they might pop up due to injury. Regardless of his pros, I still would have liked to fill a bigger position of need with this pick.
Round 5: LB Khaleke Hudson — Michigan
Grade: B
Another pick for depth, the Redskins selected Khaleke Hudson in the fifth round, and the reportedly like him mainly for the versatility and positionless skill he brings to the defense. We remarked earlier that Hudson can act as the Redskins knock-off version of Clemson LB Isaiah Simmons, as he can be plugged into any position on the field and go to work. In college, he lined up at five different positions at Michigan, spanning from free safety to cornerback to defensive line. Not bad for a linebacker in the fifth round.
Round 7: S Kamren Curl — Arkansas
Grade: C-
With their first of two picks in the 7th round, the Redskins selected yet another versatile S/CB who can move around throughout the secondary quite a bit. Curl played mainly strong safety with Arkansas in college, but he lined up outside at the CB position as well. I have no problem with the pick, but I question a bit why Washington is choosing to load up on the safety position when they already have Sean Davis and Hudson there on the depth chart. Still, though, Rivera and Smith liked Curl enough to take him, so I trust their judgment.
Round 7: DE James Smith Williams — NC State
Grade: C
Washington bookended the 2020 draft with defensive ends, taking James Smith Williams with their last pick in the draft. With the Redskins defensive line being as stacked as it already is, I struggle to see Smith Williams making the 53-man roster this fall unless he turns out to be a real game-changer. He will likely have to compete with Jordan Brailford, a DE the Redskins drafted in the 7th round in 2019, for one of the final spots on the team.
