Washington Redskins: 5 draft prospects who could start right away

No. 5 –  G Will Hernandez – UTEP

The buzz has been building around UTEP offensive guard Will Hernandez. The small school prospect hasn’t quite amassed the reputation of a Day 1 starter, but at Senior Bowl practices, he has stood out as a solid blocker with promising potential. For the Washington Redskins, who have a gap at left guard, he could be a perfect fit.

Hernandez, 6-foot-2, 340, started 49 straight games for the UTEP Miners at left guard. Although his team went 0-12 in 2017, Hernandez was far from the problem. He consistently out-muscled opposing defenders, and his efforts were enough to get him noticed as a possible Day 2 pick.

This kind of production is nothing new. Per Mark Chichester of Pro Football Focus, Hernandez was rated as the best highest graded guard of the 2016 College Football campaign, better than 2017 draft picks Forrest Lamp, Dan Feeney, and Taylor Moton. He was graded as elite in both pass blocking and run blocking, and he garnered a reputation for himself as a brutish mauler with tenacious hands and surprising quickness.

Hernandez’s early performance at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama has only reinforced that judgement. Hernandez has dominated in both run and pass blocking. Right at the point of attack, he locks down the defender with his hands, and he has the strength to keep them outside the pocket. In one rep, he grabbed the defender and watched the defender run himself in a circle around the entire pocket. Few have the strength, or the quickness, to best Hernandez at the start of the play, where it matters most.

By extension, Hernandez is a compelling prospect for the Washington Redskins. He was projected as a Day 2 pick before the Senior Bowl, and afterward, he may slide into Round 1. If he manages to drop to the Washington Redskins pick in Round 2, or if the Redskins trade back, he would be an excellent selection. He’s a player who can come in and play better than Shawn Lauvao right away.