Redskins RB prospect Derrius Guice declares for 2018 NFL Draft

The Redskins need to bolster their running back stable in 2018. No exceptions.

Whether the team decides to sign a free agent or draft a young back on the rise remains to be seen. But if Derrius Guice falls to them at No. 13, then the team will have a rather easy decision to make.

Guice was already assumed to be headed to the 2018 NFL Draft, but today, he confirmed those expectations on Twitter. The announcement has scouts, fans, and analysts all swooning alike, and the Redskins’ officials are likely no different.

Guice, just 20 years old, played three years for the LSU Tigers of the Southeastern Athletic Conference. In his first year, he played second fiddle to current Jaguars running back Leonard Fournette, but when Fournette went down with an injury in 2016, it was Guice who answered the team’s call for help.

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That season, Guice ran for 1,387 yards and 15 touchdowns on just 183, registering an incredible 7.6 yards per carry. His numbers dropped off slightly in his first and final year as the unquestioned starter, but he still maintained an average yards per carry of 5.3, and he had well over 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Guice is projected to go anywhere from the early to late first round in most mocks thus far. His lower numbers will cause him to fall further than Leonard Fournette did, but Guice is arguably a better prospect that his predecessor.

Guice, 5-foot-11, 214, isn’t the brutish runner Fournette is, but he’s more well-rounded, possessing the acceleration and ball carrier vision to find the quick holes and shoot through them, something the Redskins’ running backs have struggled doing for years now. Guice can improve in the receiving game and in pass protection, but his running is stellar. He’s the full package, and now that he’s officially going to the 2018 NFL Draft, the Redskins have to take notice.

Next: Washington Redskins 2018 Championship Mock Draft

There are other options at running back for the Redskins to consider, but if the team is in play for Guice, they have to capitalize on that opportunity. Guice is nearly a sure thing. Saquon Barkley gets all of the attention because of his trademark big plays, but Guice is consistent, and he has all the traits necessary to thrive at the professional level.

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