The 2018 NFL Draft is fast approaching. And the Washington Redskins need to hit on their first-round pick.
Hitting in the first round hasn’t exactly been a tradition for the Washington Redskins. The Redskins’ first round woes began early, about as early as the franchise itself, in fact. Few of the franchise’s picks in the mid-1900s remained with the team for more than two years, and some, like Michigan’s Forest Evashevski and Baylor’s Larry Isbell, never even played a down with the burgundy and gold.
The Redskins found success at a much higher rate in the first round from 1970 to 1990, but that’s because they only had three first-round picks in that time span. George Allen regularly traded his picks for veteran players; his team was commonly dubbed the ‘Over the Hill Gang’ for this reason. This trend continued into the tenure of Pro Football Hall of Fame general manager Bobby Beathard as well.
Despite the lack of opportunities, however, the Redskins found first-round legends in the 1980s; legends who would each go on to help the team win three Super Bowls in the span of merely a decade. Legends who would ultimately receive gilded busts in Canton for their achievements.
The first-round opportunities have increased since then, but the success achieved has not been proportionate. Rod Gardner fizzled quick. Andre Johnson played three NFL games for the Detroit Lions. Don’t even get started on quarterbacks. In that category, you’ll find strangely forgettable names such as Heath Shuler, Jason Campbell, Patrick Ramsey and Robert Griffin, whose sorrowful tale will continue just a state away in 2018.
It’s safe to say that the first round has not often been kind to the Redskins. But when it is kind, it is very kind. Despite the difficulties in finding consistent star talent, Washington has struck gold on more than one occasion as well, and it’s something they intend to do in this year’s draft as well, with the No. 13 pick.
What kind of player might the Redskins find in the first round this year? To answer that question, perhaps we must look to the past. These are the fifteen best first-round picks in Redskins history.
A prospect ahead of his time, Don Bosseler himself, per Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, can recall how different the game of football was “back in the day”.
“I played at 200 pounds,” Bosseler said in an interview, “and I think I was larger than both my guards. Sometimes, they’d be pulling and I’d have to yell, ‘Hey, not so fast!’ ”
The game of football has changed since the days of Bosseler. But even in the modern era, Bosseler would be a bruiser. Standing at 6-foot-1, 212 pounds, nicknamed “the Bull”, Bosseler was a standout for the Miami Hurricanes.
In four years with the team, he rushed for 1,642 yards. In 1956, he was the MVP of the Senior Bowl, and he earned a spot on the All-American roster, playing alongside Pro and College Football Hall of Famers Jim Brown and Johnny Majors. Bosseler would join Majors in the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.
For his exploits, the Bull was drafted No. 9 overall by the Redskins, and in the NFL, he kept on charging. Bosseler would play running back for the Redskins for eight years, logging 3,112 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns over that time, while receiving over 1,000 more yards.
Bosseler made the Pro Bowl once, in 1959. By the end of his career in 1964, he was Washington’s all-time leading rusher. The team never won more than six games in a season during Bosseler’s tenure. But “the Bull” kept them in every game.
In an era long gone, Bosseler stood out among the crowd as a man born to play football. Now, at 82 years old, he’s honored as one of the 80 greatest Redskins in history. It’s an honor that’s well-deserved.
In the offseason, Joe Rutgens sold insurance. In season, he scared opposing players into buying their own.
Tackles and sacks weren’t official statistics during Rutgens’ tenure in Washington, but Rutgens, hailing from the windy state, still made a tangible impact. At 6-foot-2, 260 pounds, he had impressive size for the position in 1961.
His college efforts were enough to get him selected No. 3 overall by the Redskins, who had selected quarterback Norm Snead with the previous pick as well. Snead would leave Washington after just three seasons. But Rutgens would quickly become an important facet of the defensive line.
Rutgens carved out a role for himself as a starter on the Redskins’ defensive line. In his nine-year career with Washington, he played in 110 games, starting 99 of them. He was recognized as a Pro Bowl player in both 1963 and 1965.
Rutgens’ peak wasn’t high, and his number wasn’t retired. Anthony Lanier dons the No. 72 today. But Rutgens was the first truly productive defensive tackle for the Redskins. Following in Rutgens’ lead, players like Bill Brundige and looming giant Dave Butz would provide similar impacts.
It’s worth noting that Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive tackle Bob Lilly of the Dallas Cowboys went 10 picks after Rutgens. Rutgens had a great career with Washington. But it’s easy to think of what could have been if the Redskins had stolen Lilly from their division rival.
His career with the Redskins didn’t last as long as some had hoped, but Penn State’s LaVar Arrington, for several years, provided the game-changing play every team wants from their first-rounder.
It helps that Arrington wasn’t just a first-round talent; he was a top-three talent. Arrington played out an esteemed college football career with the Penn State Nittany Lions. He played there for three seasons, carving out a historic tenure that left him as one of the faces on the “Mount Rushmore” of Penn State football, per ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.
Known for his unique combination of athleticism, size (6-foot-3, 253 pounds), and playmaking ability on the field, Arrington was widely viewed as a can’t-miss pick in the 2000 NFL Draft, and so the Redskins selected him at No. 2, just before selecting Chris Samuels with the No. 3 overall pick.
In a woeful first-round history, 2000 stands out as a strangely successful year for the burgundy and gold. While Samuels would go on to lock down the left tackle position for almost a decade, Arrington would provide an explosive playmaking presence early.
In his first four years, the linebacker went to four Pro Bowls, racking up 281 tackles, 21.5 sacks, three interceptions, 20 pass deflections and six forced fumbles.
After his fourth-year, Arrington signed an eight-year, $68 million extension with the team, and conveniently enough, his play quality plummeted after that deal.
Injuries decimated his playing time, and after missing most of the 2004 season, he was relegated to a part-time starting position in 2005. After that year, he was released to the free agency market, where he signed a massive seven-year, $49 million deal with the New York Giants. 2006 would be his last year in the league.
Arrington’s stint in D.C. was relatively short, but the Penn State product had a considerable impact, nevertheless. As the only linebacker drafted in the first-round in Washington history, it’s safe to say that the Redskins’ hit rate is 100 percent at that position.
One of two vaunted edge rushers to make this list, Brian Orakpo, for a time, was one of the most popular players on the Washington defense.
Playing college football with the Texas Longhorns, Orakpo was part of the squad led by Vince Young that won the 2005 National Championship and the 2006 Rose Bowl. In his time under then-head coach Mack Brown, Orakpo logged 23.0 sacks, 34.5 tackles for loss and six forced fumbles.
In spring of 2009, Orakpo was already a first-round prospect in the eyes of most evaluators. His NFL Combine performance only reinforced that belief. Orakpo ran a 4.63 40-yard dash, managed a whopping 31 bench reps. At the end of the day, he won over the Redskins, who would end up selecting him with the No. 13 overall pick in the ensuing NFL Draft.
Some rookies cave to the pressure and the esteem of the first round, but Orakpo didn’t disappoint. As a rookie, he racked up 11.0 sacks, making the Pro Bowl. In one game, he tied a Washington record with four sacks. By the end of his debut season, fans were already talking about the Pro Football Hall of Fame career he was destined to have.
Orakpo would stay productive for the Redskins, but he would not remain available. After making the Pro Bowl again in 2010 and logging 9.0 sacks as a Pro Bowl alternate in 2011, Orakpo missed most of the 2012 season with a pectoral tear.
He came back and made the Pro Bowl again in 2013, but in 2014, after seven games, he tore his pectoral again. The Redskins released him in the ensuing offseason, not eager to pay him a substantial deal with his recurring health issues.
Since that offseason, Orakpo has been with the Tennessee Titans. Interestingly enough, he hasn’t missed a single game as their starter. In three seasons with the Titans, Orakpo has produced 24.5 sack and he went to the Pro Bowl for a fourth time in 2016.
Orakpo hasn’t been as dominant as he was when he first came out, but now 31 years old, he’s still providing the quality play that teams expect from their first-round picks.
Orakpo won’t finish his career with Washington, but he remains one of the 15 best first-round picks to be selected by the team. His immediate impact is unmatched by many today, but one player who has him beat, in this regard, is the next player on the list.
Entering just his fourth year in the NFL, Washington starting right guard Brandon Scherff has already made a compelling case to not only appear on this list, but fall in at No. 11. With just three full years of experience under his belt, that’s a notable feat.
What has made the selection of Scherff such a success? Perhaps the easier question to answer would be this: What hasn’t? Because the answer to that is surely one word: ‘Nothing’.
Jay Gruden wasn’t fond of the pick when the Redskins selected Scherff at No. 5 overall in the 2015 NFL Draft. Although Scherff played college ball at offensive tackle, it was widely believed that a move inside would bode well for him at the next level. Offensive guards don’t typically garner such early consideration. So Scherff’s selection was met with some backlash.
Now, three years and two Pro Bowls later, Scherff stands alone on a mountain. In the valley below, names like Ereck Flowers, Laken Tomlinson, D.J. Humphries and Andrus Peat wallow in insignificance. Scherff is in an entire different echelon.
But Scherff isn’t just the best offensive lineman to come out of the 2015 draft class. He’s also one of the best in the league. He’s ruthless on the field, possessing the brute strength and tenacity to finish anyone who lines up across from him. It’s his attitude that has propelled similar offensive linemen to distinguished careers.
Possessing a passion for the wild, and a wild man on the field, Scherff is one of the best first-round picks for Washington. And he has plenty of time to keep moving up the list.
Outside of Redskins Park, Mark May is a member of the original Hogs who is often left forgotten; Forgotten in favor of players like Russ Grimm, who has a Pro Football Hall of Fame bust to back up his illustrious career, and Joe Jacoby, who came close to the same honor earlier this year.
But make no mistake: May was a crucial piece to the puzzle for the Hogs. Drafted No. 20 overall in 1981 after winning the Outland Trophy and All-American honors in the previous year, May joined forces with George Stark, Russ Grimm, Jeff Bostic and Joe Jacoby to form one of the greatest offensive lines ever to grace the game.
May primarily played at right guard, but over his time in D.C., he switched between right guard and right tackle often, giving the Hogs some valuable versatility.
Blocking for Pro Football Hall of Fame running back John Riggins, also known as “The Diesel”, May helped the Redskins steamroll their way to two Super Bowls in the 1980s. It didn’t matter who the quarterback was. The Hogs got the job done. Always.
The attitude of the Hogs reflected this guarantee. In a Hogs Haven article by Keely Diven, Raleigh McKenzie, another former Hog, recounts that May embraced the bull-headed confidence of the group. It was a privilege earned after years of dominance.
"He was pointing at somebody every play. Pointing at the players, pointing at coaches. He was even pointing at our own coaches if we didn’t run the ball. Run it my way!"
Amidst all the team success, May only went to the Pro Bowl once. His stint in Washington came to an end due to a knee injury which forced him to sit out the 1990 season. In 1991, the year the remnants of the Hogs led Mark Rypien and the Redskins to a third Super Bowl victory, May was a backup for the 4-12 San Diego Chargers.
He remained in the league for two more years after that, playing at guard for the then-Phoenix Cardinals, before calling it quits at the end of the 1994 season.
Despite his relative lack of personal accolades, May was a key cog in the machine that made the Redskins a dynasty in the 1980s. He cracks the top-10 on this list and deservedly so.
There’s nothing flashy about Ryan Kerrigan‘s game. He doesn’t have a trademark spin move to leave defenders’ heads spinning. He’s not slow, but he doesn’t have elite burst. So what makes him so great? It’s simple. He gets the job done.
Workmanlike in his approach to the game, Kerrigan has very quietly been one of the best, most consistent edge rushers in the entire league over the past decade. He doesn’t get the name recognition that players like Von Miller and Khalil Mack receive, but his production is comparable.
Drafted by Washington at No. 16 overall in 2011 after posting 33.5 sacks, 57.0 tackles for loss and 14 forced fumbles over his college career, Kerrigan didn’t skip a beat in the transition to the pro game.
In seven seasons with the burgundy and gold, he’s logged 71.5 sacks, 274 total tackles and a whopping 22 forced fumbles. He also has three interceptions as a cherry on top. And he hasn’t missed a single game.
Coming off his best season, where he accumulated 13.0 sacks and three forced fumbles, Kerrigan is starting to get the recognition he deserves. With three Pro Bowls behind his name and a sack total creeping toward 100.0, Kerrigan has a chance to join very esteemed company. Only 32 players in NFL history have broken the 100.0 sack mark. 13 of those players are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The Redskins will need to win more if Kerrigan is to join the ranks in Canton, but if he keeps up his current level of production, and churns out a few more peak years, he’ll make a compelling case on his own.
Chris Samuels was literally Trent Williams before Trent Williams.
Samuels was a dominant offensive tackle for the Alabama Crimson Tide. Starting 42 games at offensive tackle in his career, Samuels never gave up a single sack. Using his long 6-foot-5, 310-pound frame, Samuels mauled whoever lined up across from him; his prowess mirrored that of the Alabama football program itself.
In 1999, Samuels’ final collegiate season, he took his play one step further, never once allowing a pressure on his side of the line. For his efforts, he earned consensus All-American honors and recognition as the Outland Trophy winner.
Samuels’ talents afforded him interest early in the 2000 NFL Draft, and the Redskins, with two picks in the top-three and a glaring need at left tackle, couldn’t afford to pass him up. Setting his sights on “resurrecting the Hogs” (per Liz Clark of the Washington Post), Samuels was given the starting job early and he never looked back.
Samuels spent 10 seasons in the NFL, suiting up for Washington in all 10. He played at least 12 games in nine of those seasons, and excluding his 2009 campaign, which was cut short due to a spinal injury, Samuels only missed eight games in his entire career.
In nine years, Samuels was voted to the Pro Bowl six times. And while the Redskins sifted through starting quarterbacks between 2000 and 2009, starting 10 different signal callers over that time span, they never had to worry about who was protecting their blind side.
Samuels made sure of that. Samuels’ reliability was unmatched, so much so that when Samuels hung up his cleats in 2010, the Redskins wasted no time following that same blueprint to draft his successor. The purest form of flattery.
Champ Bailey played out most of his Pro Football Hall of Fame career in Denver, but many forget that for the first five years of his career, he was the No. 1 cornerback for the Redskins.
Bailey was a rare prospect coming out of college; At Georgia, he played both wide receiver and cornerback, excelling at each position. He totaled eight interceptions in four years with the Bulldogs, and logged 47 receptions for 744 yards and five touchdowns in his final season.
At the NFL Combine, Bailey further solidified his draft stock, running a 4.28 40-yard dash and managing 22 bench reps. For the Redskins, who needed a coverage cornerback with athletic ability, Bailey was the perfect pick at No. 7.
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In a draft that had eight Pro Bowlers go in the top-10, Bailey’s career ended up being the most illustrious, and by quite a wide margin. He got off to a quick start in Washington, logging five interceptions in his rookie year and cementing himself as a mainstay opposite veteran cornerback Darrell Green.
At one point, the Redskins had Champ Bailey, Darrell Green and Deion Sanders in their defensive backfield at the same time. And they wreaked havoc upon opposing offenses.
Unfortunately, Bailey’s time in D.C. wasn’t to last. After racking up 18 interceptions, 51 pass deflections, and four Pro Bowl berths in his first five years, the Redskins, as a result of contract disputes, traded Bailey and a second-round pick to the Denver Broncos for star running back Clinton Portis.
If Washington had traded anyone else, that trade would have been a win. Portis went on to break 1,200 yards three times and 10 touchdowns twice in his time with Washington, earning a Pro Bowl berth in the process.
But Bailey’s bounty would be greater in Denver. After being traded, Bailey would go on to amass 34 interceptions, 123 pass deflections and 522 tackles with the Broncos. He would go to the Pro Bowl eight more times, while being recognized as an All-Pro in his first three years after the trade. In 2006, he led the league with 10 interceptions. He’s one of just eight defensive backs to pass that mark since 2000.
Soon, Bailey will have a bust in Canton. And while the Redskins can say they were the ones who brought him into the league, it is in Denver where he flourished and made his case for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. It is for that reason that Bailey is not higher on this list. In Bailey’s career, the Redskins can learn an important lesson: Some players are worth the cost.
If there should be any sign of hope for a Washington fan pitying the doomed state of a losing franchise, it is this: Teams build up from the trenches, and the Redskins seem to do fairly well drafting offensive linemen.
After the retirement of six-time Pro Bowler Chris Samuels, the Redskins entered the 2010 offseason with a clear need at the most important position on the front five. The team solidified their quarterback position (or so they thought) by trading for veteran Donovan McNabb in early April, so that in the NFL Draft, they only had one route to take at No. 4: Offensive tackle.
It’s almost lucky that Washington traded for Donovan McNabb. Otherwise, they may have tricked themselves into picking Tim Tebow or Jimmy Clausen. Instead, they secured a perennial All-Pro talent at left tackle in Trent Williams, one of three Oklahoma Sooners to go in the top four that year.
Regardless of the need at quarterback, Williams had a résumé that made it hard to pass him by. Possessing a 6-foot-5, 315-pound frame, as well as 4.88 speed in the 40-yard dash, Williams entered the draft with an inhuman athletic profile. He had already employed these traits successfully at Oklahoma, blocking for Sam Bradford, and the Redskins then drafted him at No. 4, confident that he could seamlessly fill the void left by Samuels.
He has.
In eight seasons, two less than Samuels, Williams has accrued the same amount of Pro Bowl berths, going to six Pro Bowls in the last six seasons. In both 2016 and 2017, Williams was recognized as a First-Team All-Pro.
His level of consistency has mirrored and even surpassed that of his successor, and his toughness is unmatched throughout the league. He played on a knee that need surgery for 10 games in 2017, and he still didn’t allow a sack.
In the NFL Network’s annual Top 100 Players series, voted on by the players themselves, Williams has received the respect concurrent with his reputation. He’s been ranked on the list for the past five years, falling in at No. 99 in 2013, No. 60 in 2014, No. 47 in 2015, No. 45 in 2016 and No. 47 again in 2017.
Talent recognizes talent. And in terms of talent, there are few who can compete with Trent Williams. The burly bookend has already cemented himself into D.C. sports lore as a titan among men. And he hasn’t even turned 30 yet. With more time, and continued dominance, he could be recognized on a larger stage.
The 1964 NFL Draft class is historic; eleven players from the 1964 class have been inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, more than any other draft class. There are Super Bowl heroes and NFL champions like Roger Staubach and Leroy Kelly. And then there are those who needed to rely more on their personal talents, given their lack of team achievements. Like Charley Taylor.
Taylor was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a wide receiver. But coming into the NFL, he had never played a down of receiver in his life. In college at Arizona State, he was a two-way player, contributing as both a running back and a defensive back.
When Taylor was drafted by the Redskins, he started as a running back, earning NFL Rookie of the Year honors at that position in his first year. Over his first two years, however, he gradually underwent a transition to wide receiver, and in 1966, he was fully immersed at his new position.
It didn’t take long for Taylor to thrive in his new role. In 1966, his first year playing predominantly at wide receiver, he broke the 1,000-yard mark in receiving yards, amassing 72 catches and 12 touchdowns. He never again broke the 1,000-yard mark, but for 11 more years, he would serve as the Redskins’ No. 1 receiver, averaging around 700 yards a year.
By the end of his career, Taylor was the all-time leader in receiving yards in the NFL. Although he only went to one Super Bowl, which he lost, his personal accolades were too much to keep him from getting a gold jacket in 1984. Taylor is easily one of the Redskins’ best first-round picks in history. But he’s not the best wide receiver on this list.
Widely regarded as one of the best wide receivers in Washington history, Art Monk left an undeniable mark on the franchise, permanently cementing reliability as a coveted trait from any wide receiver. The standard that Monk set at the receiver position, in terms of consistency, has yet to be matched by another Redskins player.
After being drafted No. 18 overall by Washington, Monk immediately became the premier weapon for Joe Theismann and company. He broke the NFL record for receptions in a season with 106 in 1984, and after that year, he would break 1,000 yards receiving four more times.
Over his 14 years with the Redskins, Monk totaled 888 receptions, 12,026 yards, and 65 touchdowns through the air. He went to the Pro Bowl three times, but accolades alone aren’t enough. He also went to the Super Bowl four times with Joe Gibbs, winning three of those matchups.
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Monk’s career was great enough for his No. 81 to become unofficially retired by the Redskins, and in 2008, along with teammate Darrell Green, Monk was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Monk had the individual accomplishments, and he had the rings to back them up. You can’t ask for much more from a first-round pick.
Slingin’ Sammy Baugh wasn’t your average Biff Loman.
Baugh played in the days of muddy, unkempt fields, leather helmets, and black and white movie tape, but there was nothing black and white about Baugh’s football career. Baugh could do it all.
In college, Baugh was a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball. He originally thought about playing professional baseball, but after receiving an offer to play in the NFL with the Redskins. After reaffirming his confidence in such a venture by shutting out the Green Bay Packers in the college All-Star game, Baugh decided to give it a shot.
It worked out. Baugh immediately flourished as a starter for the Redskins, winning an NFL Championship in his very first year. In his ensuing 15 years with the team, he would win another NFL Championship in 1942.
Over his career, he threw for 21,886 yards, 187 touchdowns and 203 interceptions. In that grueling era of football, those stats are more than satisfactory. And while Baugh may be listed as a quarterback, he didn’t just do that.
He also played defensive back. In 1942, Baugh led the league with 11 interceptions. He also led the league in passing and average yards per punt that year. Scot McCloughan would have loved this draft pick. Baugh was a ‘football player’ (insert gruff general manager accent).
To not only last 15 years, but to sustain success over that time, was a rare feat in the early days of football, and Baugh accomplished this feat. He was recognized as a Pro Bowler in six seasons, as an All-Pro in four. In 1947 and 1948, he was the NFL Player of the Year.
Baugh’s impact goes beyond stats. In a running league, Baugh was the first to win using the pass, and he was the first to bring excitement to the Washington franchise. Baugh was a rare player who evolved the game of football.
He was accordingly recognized for this in 1963, when he was one of the first players to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. His No. 33 is the only jersey to be officially retired by the Redskins. When you see the next two names on this list, you’ll know how much that means.
Darrell Green‘s nickname is ‘the Ageless Wonder’. That’s all you need to know. He ran a 4.43 40-yard dash time on his 50th birthday. But it’s been over a decade since Green last used his talents on the football field.
Green retired in 2002, after playing for the Redskins for almost a quarter century. Over his career, he logged 54 interceptions, seven Pro Bowls, one All-Pro award and two Super Bowl rings. He’s one of a small number of players to play from the 1980s to the current millennium, and he may be the only one to play for the same team in that time span.
He’s commonly known for his speed, but Green was far more than that. He consistently locked down opponents, using his natural talents to stay one step ahead of the offense
As fast as his legs were, his mind was faster, and he knew how to read the offense and maximize his playmaking potential. Green’s exploits earned him recognition as one of the great NFL cornerbacks of history and they also earned him a gold jacket in 2008.
His No. 28 hasn’t been issued since his retirement. It’s fair to wonder if it ever will be. Green left an undeniable impact on the Redskins franchise, but the impact he left is not as great as the final player on this list.
“My name’s Sean Taylor, and I’m the hardest hitter in the draft.”
Indeed. With every hit inflicted on an unsuspecting wide receiver crossing over the middle, or every Pro Bowl punter foolishly attempting to run on a trick play, there was the brutal and inevitable contact. The echo of the pads clapping together always lingered. So too did the fear of Taylor on the field. He wasn’t just the hardest hitter in the draft. He was the hardest hitter in the NFL.
Of all the devastating hits distributed by Sean Taylor over his four-year career, however, no blow hit harder than the one dealt on the morning of November 27, 2007, when it was announced that Taylor had died from a gunshot wound sustained in a home invasion the day before.
Taylor only spent four years with the Redskins before his life was cut short. But the impact of his time there is extraordinary. Beyond words. It wasn’t just the player, but the enigma, and the growth of that enigma over time, that made his journey so alluring to so many fans. Ask them today who their favorite player in team history is. You know what they’ll say.
As a player, Taylor was captivating enough. Standing at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, and possessing the speed and instincts to cover the whole length of the field in the blink of an eye and play the ball, Taylor was a prospect far, far ahead of his time. The Redskins were well aware of this, and when he fell to the No. 5 overall pick, they swiped him away.
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It took time for Taylor to grow accustomed to the NFL, and all the publicity it carried to him, but from the day he joined Washington, he was the best football player on the field. Over his time with the team, he logged 238 tackles,12 interceptions, 43 pass deflections and eight forced fumbles. He came to be known as ‘The Meast’; half-man, half-beast. It was a name that suited him well.
By 2007, Taylor, in just four seasons, had already gone to the Pro Bowl twice, as well as garnered All-Pro honors once. He was bound to have an unparalleled career ahead. But life, in its chaotic indifference, had other plans.
Some will say that Darrell Green should be at No. 1 on this list. And he has a compelling argument. Green played with the Redskins for almost two decades. Green had 54 career interceptions. And yes, Green has a gold jacket.
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Despite all this, Taylor, based on ability, based on potential and based on impact, is the best Redskins draft pick in history. Respect factors into this pick, to an extent, but we all know, had Taylor been given a chance to continue his career, he would have been the greatest. So we’ll put him here, anyway.