The Washington Redskins don’t need to use a first-round pick on a lineman

How much longer do the Washington Redskins need to build the trenches?

There are plenty of football cliches out there. Floating in situ. Existing for nothing else but use by the football faithful, for better or worse. ‘Defense wins championships’. ‘Can’t win without a quarterback’. ‘Build from the trenches’.

The latter cliche is most relevant to the discussion churning around the 2018 NFL Draft, and the route that the Washington Redskins will take. Many will use this cliche as ammunition for their claim that drafting linemen early is a necessity for the 2018 Washington Redskins. But these claims have holes.

The Washington Redskins have spent a first round pick on some type of lineman in two of the last three years. They’ve found starters in Rounds 3 through 6. Their offensive line, even without a starting left guard, is one of the better units in the nation, and their defensive line, when healthy, is well-equipped. Jonathan Allen was a stout, well-rounded defender when he played last year, and when paired with Matt Ioannidis, the two formed a fearsome interior combination in both run and pass defense.

Behind Allen and Ioannidis, Anthony Lanier is a young player on the rise, with immense upside. And apart from him, Ziggy Hood, Stacy McGee and the newly-inked Phil Taylor, provide depth. The latter two also provide ability at nose tackle. Taylor, in particular, could be a very good piece if he stays healthy. But because the Washington Redskins use a true nose on a fairly low proportion of their plays, that need isn’t worthy of Round 1 recognition, anyway.

I’m not going to lie and say Terrell McClain is a good player. And I’m certainly not going to say that there are any reliable depth options past that point. But if you see the way some fans talk about the need at defensive line, you’d think the Washington Redskins need a full reset. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

On both the offensive line and the defensive line, the Washington Redskins have pieces in place to form formidable units. Additional depth is still needed in both areas, in order to stave off injuries that will undoubtedly occur in the future. But the team does not need to draft a defensive lineman in Round 1. And the world isn’t going to end if they roll into training camp with Wyatt Teller, a potential fourth-round pick, as the starter. The offensive line, as one body, will still be a strong unit regardless.

You may use the fact that they struggled with Arie Kouandjio at left guard last season to support your argument. But they also had Chase Roullier learning at center, T.J. Clemmings doing his best revolving door impression at left tackle, Tyler Catalina struggling in his first starts at right guard, and Morgan Moses playing through injury at right tackle. The worst case scenario became reality in 2017. The odds of that happening again are slim.

Yes, I know. Good teams build through the trenches. But let’s not act like we’ve yet to begin building. There are good pieces in place on both sides of the ball, and very good position coaches to make those pieces better. I’m not saying drafting a lineman in Round 1 isn’t out of the question.

But, contrary to popular belief, it is not necessary.

The Washington Redskins still have a bit of building to do in the trenches, if they are to live up to the standard of the holy cliche. But the need is not as great as some will lead others to believe. And with this draft class as deep as it is on the defensive line, picking Vita Vea at No. 13 would be an unforgivable reach. Da’Ron Payne isn’t as egregious, but even that pick would sacrifice value.

Next: Assessing Redskins first-round option: DB Derwin James

There’s a few holes to patch up. We don’t need a bulldozer. That’s not efficient. Think about efficiency. Think in terms of value. By drafting a defensive lineman or offensive lineman in Round 1, the Washington Redskins would get a talented player. But the repercussions of that pick, to select a player based on a phantom need, would linger. And they would have weight.