The Washington Redskins enter draft season with a lingering need on the defensive line, but should they use a first-round pick to fill that need?
Drafting a defensive lineman in the first round would be far from the worst decision. The Washington Redskins are in need of one more rotational player alongside Jonathan Allen and Matt Ioannidis. And this year’s draft is filled to the brim with early-round trench talent.
But perhaps that’s the reason the Washington Redskins should wait.
The NFL Draft is all about getting value for your picks. Filling your needs is nice, but if you can get the best player available, or fill multiple needs, or do both at the same time, then you’re golden.
You can’t just ignore your needs, however. There’s a chance that a very talented offensive tackle like Conor Williams or Orlando Brown might be available at the Washington Redskins’ pick, but there would be riots in D.C. if they passed over other positions to pair another starting tackle with Trent Williams and Morgan Moses.
We’ll talk about the indelible battle between the philosophy of needs and the philosophy of talent later. But for now, let’s focus on the possibility of the Washington Redskins drafting a defensive lineman in Round 1. And why, based on the needs and the talent, it’s the wrong thing to do.
The Needs
The team needs of the Washington Redskins are not set in stone. Free agency has yet to play out, and depending on who you ask, the Washington Redskins could need anything from a No. 1 running back, to a new general manager, to a brand change.
The NFL Draft can only solve one of those disputes, however, and that is the issue of positional need. What do the Washington Redskins need to add to their roster in 2018? Let’s compile a short list of possible needs.
- Late-round developmental quarterback
- No. 1 running back
- Speed wide receiver
- Any wide receiver
- A tight end who can stay on the field
- Starting left guard
- Offensive line depth
- More offensive line depth
- Depth on the offensive line
- Rotational defensive lineman
- Nose tackle
- Speedy inside linebacker
- Slot cornerback
- Depth at cornerback
- Depth at safety
- A returner that isn’t named Jamison Crowder
Okay, so the short list became a long list, but the message is clear. The Washington Redskins, as good as the team may be, when healthy, have a lot of needs that could be addressed this offseason.
The question now becomes ‘how should these various needs be addressed’? On an individual basis, which needs can be remedied in the first round?
You will find some variation depending on who you ask, but over the past few months, the consensus has been that the Washington Redskins will select either a running back, defensive lineman, linebacker, or defensive back with their first pick.
However, if Quenton Nelson drops to No. 13, then he would be the obvious pick, as the most talented player available at a pressing need. And drafting Calvin Ridley is also an option. But the Washington Redskins, by most accounts, need to pick a core player over a skill position player with their first pick. That narrows down the possible pick to either a defensive standout at a multitude of positions, or a No. 1 running back.
So now we know that there are several different areas the Washington Redskins could use their first-round pick on. Why would drafting a defensive lineman be the wrong way to go? Let’s take a look at the players themselves.
The Talent
I’ll give you a situation.
You’re the general manager of the Washington Redskins in the 2018 NFL Draft (yes, Bruce Allen is gone. Rejoice). At pick No. 13, several players worth your consideration are still up for grabs. For our purposes, and to maintain a realistic nature, let’s say that Beau Callahan, linebacker Rashaan Evans, cornerback Denzel Ward, safety Derwin James, running back Derrius Guice, and defensive lineman Da’Ron Payne are all available.
You know that no one went to Beau Callahan’s birthday party, so you can cross him off the list quick. Therefore, that leaves you with Evans, Ward, James, Guice, and Payne.
A fan of Da’Ron Payne’s athletic explosiveness and his dominant frame, you decide to select him with the No. 13 pick. Okay, cool. That’s fair. Most fans would already consider you better than Bruce Allen.
So now the second round comes up. It’s your pick, and you head to the board, looking to draft one of the most talented players remaining. Maybe you can find a first-round talent at a position of need that slipped through the cracks and made it to your selection. In the limited time you have, you put together a quick list and determine that the best players to use your pick on include running back Sony Michel, Malik Jefferson, Justin Reid, and Jaire Alexander (The Washington Redskins are in a bad spot to draft Ronald Jones; he’ll probably be gone very early in the second, if not the late first).
All of those players are talented in their own right, and all of those players would be good selections. But what if I told you that you could have had Denzel Ward, or Derrius Guice, and still be able to pick a top-tier defensive lineman in the second round?
Now next year, you might be stuck with a limited running back while Derrius Guice is tearing up the league on the Seahawks or the Lions. And while Da’Ron Payne may be playing well with Ioannidis and Allen, guys like Taven Bryan, Andrew Brown, Harrison Phillips, and Trenton Thompson are all doing just as well with their respective teams. And there’s a chance all of them are available in Round 2.
Now all of a sudden, you didn’t get the most value out of your picks. All of a sudden, you’re Bruce Allen.
The pick of Payne was not a bad pick. But you left a player who could have invigorated your offense, or an immediate starting slot cornerback, or an explosive linebacker, or an electric safety on the board, when you could have picked either of them instead, and still acquired a rotational starter on the defensive line in Round 2.
The reason for this is quite simple. In this draft class, as we know and understand it right now, the position of defensive line is incredibly deep. There are proven players with immediate starting potential available as late as Round 4. But the same cannot be said for other positions. There are talented players with potential. But none are as pro-ready as the prospects on the defensive line.
For a team like the Washington Redskins, that needs to add or find several starters this offseason, you might only find one if you draft a first-round defensive lineman. But if you wait until the second round, you could find two.
Conclusion
Drafting a defensive lineman in Round 1 is a fair option, but to maximize value, it is the wrong choice for the Washington Redskins. Vita Vea is the only exception.
This is a team that needs all the help it can get through the draft, and with an effective class, we could see this team make a sizable leap sooner, rather than later.
As we saw in the situation provided in the previous slide, by drafting Da’Ron Payne, you got a rookie starter who has immense potential. But you could have gotten a rookie starter on the defensive line in Round 2, and used your first round pick on another starter at another position.
Next: Washington Redskins post-Alex Smith trade mock draft
It’s all about value, and maximizing that value. Drafting a defensive lineman in the first round may seem like an attractive option. And if you become the general manager of the Washington Redskins before April comes around, then by all means, go ahead and pick Da’Ron Payne. But while you do so, ask yourself this: What are you missing out on?