The Washington Redskins have options with their first round pick. With just a few hours remaining until the 2018 NFL Draft, here’s a look at their top five options.
It’s draft day. The Redskins have the No. 13 pick, and their decision is coming up soon. We’ve broken down so much of what they’re going to do. But now, just hours separate us from officially knowing what they are going to do.
For this draft, it appears that the Redskins are focusing on the defensive side of the ball, and that makes sense. They have only a couple of needs at starting positions on offense, left guard and running back, and none of the options are particularly good values. So, focusing on defense makes sense.
All of the Redskins top five options come on the defensive side of the ball. Without further ado, here’s a look at their final five Big Board for the first pick.
The Redskins could end up in position to select a guy like Tremaine Edmunds, and if he’s on the board, the team will have a decision to make. The team doesn’t necessarily have a need at the linebacker or rush linebacker positions, but Edmunds could be an upgrade and an instant starter for the team.
Edmunds is one of the best pure tacklers in this draft class, and he did a great job of squaring up his opponents when bringing them down at Virginia Tech. He has great burst off the line and excellent athletic ability and length. That will make him a quality NFL player.
It’s also worth noting that Edmunds can play any position in a 3-4 linebacker corps, and that versatility will do a lot to help him. He will have a shot at becoming a very good pass rusher or one of the best all-around 3-4 middle linebackers in the league.
The one question for the Redskins if Edmunds is on the board will be, do they really need him? If they get Edmunds, it would probably force either Zach Brown or Mason Foster into a reserve role in the linebacker corps. Given that they both just signed contract extensions, it may not make a lot of sense to knock one into a bench role. Having too much talent at one position is never a bad thing, but when the team could get help at a position they need, it doesn’t make sense to get Edmunds.
Still, the Redskins shouldn’t be counted out of the Edmunds race. If he somehow slips to No. 13, he could be the best player available. And in that circumstance, the Redskins might try to get him.
Derwin James is a big, physical safety with the necessary versatility to play many roles on a defense. He fits as a strong safety, and he can also play in the box as an extra linebacker. His ability makes him an intriguing target for the Redskins, so adding him would make a lot of sense.
However, it seems highly likely that James will be off the board before the Redskins are able to make their pick. James could go as high as the No. 7 pick to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and there are a lot of other teams that are high on him. For that reason, he may not be a realistic target.
Regardless, the Redskins will have interest in James. It just may not be as much as other players at the same position that could be available. James is, without a doubt, one of the best defensive players in the draft, but the team could prefer a safety with more versatility to play cornerback. So, that may knock James down a notch.
Given that he may not be available and the Redskins may prefer other players, James comes in at No. 4 on the team’s preferred target list.
I’ve been a big supporter of Da’Ron Payne for most of the draft process and I think that his fit with the Redskins would be near perfect. However, he may not end up being the best option on the board, so that’s why he comes in at No. 3 on the list.
Payne is coming off a great season that saw him notch 53 tackles at Alabama, and he was a force on their run to another National Championship. Some have said that without that run, he wouldn’t be a first round talent, but that’s a misleading statement. Just because he played his best football at the end of his college career doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have the talent necessary to be a top pick.
In my final NFL Mock Draft, I have Payne landing with the Baltimore Ravens with the No. 16 pick. This is what I said about him in that analysis.
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"Payne is one of the better nose tackles in this draft, and some argue that he’s better that Vea. Payne has superb athletic ability and can play almost any position on a defensive front. He has a quick first step and solid size at 6-foot-2, 311 pounds. He might not have the pass rushing production one looks for in a prospect, but he still has upside in that department and could be a quality player in the NFL. He just has to develop that portion of his skill set a bit."
The Redskins are going to have interest in Payne. They need help on the defensive line, and they visited with Payne and would potentially like to pair him with Jonathan Allen. That duo would be a hyper athletic and solid combination who could provide the team with positional versatility. So, Payne could end up being one of the top options if the other guys they have above him are off the board.
It seems that Vita Vea has established himself as the top nose tackle option for the Redskins. Vea is a big-bodied man, so adding him would make a lot of sense. However, there are some concerns about how much he would actually play with the Redskins.
For the NFL level, Vea projects to be a great two-down run stuffer. He has a 6-foot-4, 347 pound frame and moves a lot better than one would expect. He has pretty good movement skills and his athletic ability should afford him an opportunity to be a solid player.
However, there are some concerns about how his pass rushing ability will translate to the NFL. Vea doesn’t have the best first step, so that could cause him some problems as he tries to become an interior rusher. It’s still possible that Vea could become a powerful interior rusher who can help collapse the pocket, but he probably won’t be a big sack man and may have to come off the field on third downs as a result.
All that said, it’s still highly likely that Vea will be a top 15 pick, and it’s looking more and more likely that he will be off the board when the Redskins pick. The Dolphins have a lot of interest in him, and Vea probably should be favored for the No. 11 pick right now. So, it’s possible that Vea may not make it to the Redskins pick.
But, if Vea is still on the board at pick 13, the Redskins are going to have to a decision to make. Vea would help on the defensive line, but the team would have to weigh whether or not he would be able to play enough to be an effective first round pick. It seems that the team believes in him, so that’s what makes him the second best option with their first round pick.
I’m sticking to my guns here. Minkah Fitzpatrick has long been connected to the Redskins, and there is a chance that he could slide to pick No. 13. If that happens, the Redskins should almost certainly take him, as he will be a big role player for the team.
Fitzpatrick has superb cover skills and can play any position in the secondary. He has the potential to be a defensive captain and could call defenses if needed to, and that will certainly appeal to Greg Manusky. Fitzpatrick would take over as the team’s slot corner and would see plenty of action in the nickel.
The only problem for the Redskins will be getting Fitzpatrick to their pick. The 49ers have a lot of interest in him at the No. 9 pick, and it’s possible that teams like the Oakland Raiders or the Colts (if they trade down with the Bills) could select him as well. But, if the draft falls the right way, the Redskins will have a shot at Fitzpatrick.
Next: NFL Mock 12.0 - The Draft Day Mock
In the event that Washington can land Fitzpatrick, they will win the draft. He’s one of the elite players who might fall due to the rise of the quarterbacks. So, here’s hoping that Fitzpatrick will be on the board so the Redskins can grab him.