Draft Day is finally here in the NFL, and it feels like a make-or-break year for the Washington Redskins.
With questions at the quarterback position and holes to fill on the numbers and up front in the offensive line, there are rumors aplenty for where the Redskins might choose to go in the first few rounds. Here is a refresher on the picks they have throughout the draft, barring any trades.
DAY 1: Pick No. 15
DAY 2: Pick No. 46, 76, 96
DAY 3: Pick No. 153, 173, 206, 227, 253
And here are the primary needs that Washington has going into the draft.
1. Quarterback
2. Wide Receiver
3. Edge Rusher
4. Offensive Line
5. safety
Let’s break it down. First and foremost, the Redskins NEED to get better at the most important position in all of sports — quarterback. After two gruesome injuries in the 2018 season left Washington reeling under center, Bruce Allen and Co. went out and signed former Denver Broncos’ QB Case Keenum. But, let’s not lie to ourselves, Keenum isn’t a longterm answer to the current problem; he’s a stop-gap trying to keep them afloat.
What the Redskins need to do is 1. Acquire a young signal caller who can be groomed into a franchise QB and 2. Not completely jeopardize the present while said QB is in training. Keenum can (most likely) make the second part of that plan come to fruition, so Washington just needs to fulfill that first part. Be it in the form of trading multiple assets for Arizona Cardinals’ second-year QB Josh Rosen, or trading up to grab one of the top QB’s in the draft tonight, look for the Redskins to make plans for the future.
Name to Watch: Dwayne Haskins, QB. Daniel Jones, QB.
Assuming that the Redskins don’t choose to address their QB needs in the first round of the draft, there are still two primary positions that they can go after.
Whoever lines up under center in the 2019 season, they will need playmakers on the outside if they are to be successful. The current WR depth chart in Washington is a whos-who of no-names, highlighted by Josh Doctson, who is dangerously close to being declared a draft bust himself.
There are several athletic receivers who have been mocked into the first round, but Washington fans should focus on D.K. Metcalf out of Ole Miss and Stanley Morgan out of Nebraska. While Metcalf — who stands 6’3″ and 230 pounds — represents a versatile deep threat with his 4.33 40-time, Morgan would go a long ways to fill the role of possession receiver.
After DE Preston Smith signed with the Green Bay Packers this offseason, the Redskins have a big hole on the edge of the D-line in his absence. A name to look for to fill this need is Montez Sweat out of Mississippi State. Sweat was a first-team All American in college and finished his senior year with 11.5 sacks and 14 TFL in the SEC.
