The 2018 NFL Draft is in the books. And the Washington Redskins, along with the rest of the NFC East, added tons of talent.
It’s this time of year where every team seems able to go the distance, and the Washington Redskins are no different. After grabbing sufficient value in almost every round, the only glaring hole remaining on the roster is at left guard, and there are possible in-house solutions at that position.
The Washington Redskins, by many accounts, scored big in the 2018 NFL Draft, and their draft class should be able to separate itself early, in terms of both immediate production and potential in the long-run.
While the Washington Redskins did a very good job, they weren’t the only team in the NFC East to get the most out of their draft picks. Which NFC East team matches up with the Washington Redskins, in terms of talent and value brought in? Which team falls short of the mark? Turn the page, and take a look.
Washington Redskins
Round 1 – Alabama DT Da’Ron Payne (B)
Round 2 – LSU RB Derrius Guice (A)
Round 3 – Louisville OT Geron Christian (B-)
Round 4 – Penn State S Troy Apke (C)
Round 5 – Virginia Tech NT Tim Settle (A-)
Round 6 – Alabama LB Shaun Dion Hamilton (A)
Round 7 – Virginia Tech CB Greg Stroman (A)
Round 7 – SMU WR Trey Quinn (A+)
Bias may play a moderate role in one’s exuberance with the Washington Redskins’ class, but there is no denying that they followed a blueprint that maximized value in almost every round.
The Da’Ron Payne selection in Round 1 may have been a bit of a reach, especially when accounting for the availability of players like Tremaine Edmunds and Derwin James. But the Washington Redskins made one of their biggest weaknesses into their biggest strength by selecting Payne here and Tim Settle in the fifth round later on. This selection effectively filled multiple needs, and with Payne’s upside, there is value.
The team received more value in Round 2, letting a first-round talent fall to them after trading back to acquire a third-round pick. Derrius Guice, widely regarded as a top fifteen player, in terms of natural ability, should start right away for the Washington Redskins, and behind one of the better offensive lines in the nation, he should be a threat to opposing defenses.
With their third-round pick acquired in the trade back in Round 2, the Washington Redskins selected Louisville tackle Geron Christian. Christian, an athletic, agile lineman with height and length, has starting potential at tackle, and for now, he can learn behind Trent Williams, providing depth that will be valuable after last year’s injury debacle.
Troy Apke in the fourth round was a considerable reach, but aside from that, there are few questionable selections. Tim Settle in the fifth round is a steal for the Washington Redskins, Shaun Dion Hamilton in the sixth round is a pick that has massive upside, given Hamilton’s smarts and quickness in both coverage and run defense as an inside linebacker.
And in Round 7, Greg Stroman and Trey Quinn are players who will contribute right away. Both appear to already have inside tracks at making the roster. Quinn, in particular, is the perfect receiver for Jay Gruden; he’s one of just three selections in the NFC East to receive an A+ grade. With his route running and consistency, he could have been a fourth-round pick.
From top to bottom, the Washington Redskins draft class seems to have able contributors. That is a value that not many draft classes have. It’s what sets the Washington Redskins’ class apart from the rest of the NFC East. How do the other teams stack up?
Washington Redskins Draft Grade: A-
Dallas Cowboys
Round 1 – Boise State LB Leighton Vander Esch (B-)
Round 2 – Texas OG Connor Williams (A-)
Round 3 – Colorado State WR Michael Gallup (B+)
Round 4 – Kansas DE Dorance Armstrong (B+)
Round 4 – Stanford TE Dalton Schultz (C+)
Round 5 – Western Kentucky QB Mike White (B+)
Round 6 – Indiana LB Chris Covington (C-)
Round 6 – Boise State WR Cedrick Wilson (B)
Round 7 – Alabama RB Bo Scarborough (C)
The Dallas Cowboys had some very good picks out of their nine-selection slate in the 2018 NFL Draft. Connor Williams translates well to guard in the NFL, and that is exactly where the Dallas Cowboys will use the mauler from Texas.
Michael Gallup should be an immediate contributor in a weak receiving core, and Dorance Armstrong, a double-digit sack producer in 2016, should rekindle some of his former fire in a rotation with Taco Charlton and Demarcus Lawrence.
Mike White is an underrated pick in Round 5; the Western Kentucky product was one of the more pro-ready quarterbacks in the 2018 class. White has a chance to win the backup job from Cooper Rush right away, and if Dak Prescott continues to regress, the Cowboys now have a reliable fallback option at quarterback.
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While the Cowboys hit on some picks, there were others that generated more confusion than excitement. Leighton Vander Esch is a decent pick at No. 19, but the selection left other greater needs unaddressed, when in all likelihood, Vander Esch wasn’t the best player on the board.
Vander Esch will be a solid contributor alongside Sean Lee, but that interior defensive line needs a lot of work, and they didn’t get it in the NFL Draft. In Round 6, they had a chance to pick Julian Taylor or Kahlil McKenzie, and instead, they went with Indiana linebacker Christian Covington, after they already addressed linebacker in Round 6. Defensive line is a major need for the Cowboys, and they did not do enough to make it better last weekend.
The other selections not yet mentioned don’t inspire confidence, either. The Cowboys selected Dalton Schultz to replace Jason Witten, who will make a retirement decision later this week. But Schultz doesn’t fit the need that the Cowboys have. He would be a good pick for the Washington Redskins, who need depth, and more blocking strength at the tight end position. Schultz may not be able to come in and replace Witten’s pass catching production.
In Round 7, the Cowboys decided on a running back, picking Bo Scarborough. As big and terrifying as Scarborough might be, he’s not what the Cowboys needed at running back. They lack a true third-down back to compliment Ezekiel Elliot and help provide a little more quickness to the rotation. Scarborough is not that back, and they may need to do a bit of searching if they want more speed in that area.
The Cowboys hit on some positions, and overall, this draft gave them a number of players who will contribute early. However, there were too many holes to give them solid grade. In a division that seems to keep getting better, the Dallas Cowboys may have fallen behind with this draft class. It’s worth noting that the team traded a sixth-round pick for Rams’ hybrid receiver Tavon Austin. That alone won’t turn the fortunes of an inconsistent draft performance.
Dallas Cowboys Draft Grade: C+
Philadelphia Eagles
Round 2 – South Dakota State TE Dallas Goedert (A)
Round 4 – Pittsburgh CB Avonte Maddox (C+)
Round 4 – Florida State DE Josh Sweat (A+)
Round 6 – TCU OT Matt Pryor (B+)
Round 7 – Australia OT Jordan Mailata (B)
The Philadelphia Eagles did some moving before the draft conclusion, and by the end, they had added only five rookies from the current class. Still, even with a small amount of picks to choose from, the Eagles found a way to add multiple players who project well as immediate contributors.
The best pick for the Eagles, by far, is the selection of Florida State defensive end Josh Sweat in Round 4. Sweat is a bit undersized, but with his natural athleticism and burst, Sweat was projected as a late first-rounder in some circles. For whatever reason, either due to his moderate injury concerns or positional utility, he slid to the Eagles on Day 3.
The team has to be feeling good about this pick. Sweat joins an already stacked rotation of edge rushers that consists of Brandon Graham, Derek Barnett, Michael Bennett, Steven Means, and Chris Long.
The Eagles didn’t score on any picks of similar value, but they still managed to add a couple more high-upside selections with their remaining four picks. Dallas Goedert will help seamlessly carry over talent that was lost from the departure of Trey Burton at tight end, Matt Pryor has good potential and provides depth at tackle, and the same can be said for Australian rugby star Jordan Mailata, although he will have a steep learning curve playing his first snaps of football.
The Eagles could have done more to address the cornerback position than pick the undersized Avonte Maddox, but the Eagles’ roster was fairly solid to begin the draft phase, and last weekend, it only got better.
Philadelphia Eagles Draft Grade: B+
New York Giants
Round 1 – Penn State RB Saquon Barkley (B+)
Round 2 – UTEP OG Will Hernandez (A)
Round 3 – Georgia DE Lorenzo Carter (B-)
Round 3 – NC State DT B.J. Hill (A-)
Round 4 – Richmond QB Kyle Lauletta (A+)
Round 6 – Miami DT R.J. McIntosh (A)
There is only one draft class in the NFC East that can rival the Washington Redskins’ class, and that is the New York Giants.
The Giants were handed a very fruitful situation this offseason. The roster, in terms of talent, was far from deficient last year; a lack of chemistry and organization cultivated by Ben McAdoo helped contribute to the team’s downward spiral to 3-13. This year, Pat Shurmur and Dave Gettleman inherited both a solid roster and the No. 2 pick. There are few ways to lose in this situation.
The headline items for the Giants include Penn State running back Saquon Barkley, who went No. 2 overall, and UTEP offensive guard Will Hernandez. Both picks are stellar, although Barkley’s individual grade drops a bit due to the team’s passing on more proven impact positions like left guard (Quenton Nelson), edge rusher (Bradley Chubb), and quarterback (Josh Rosen, Sam Darnold).
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Nevertheless, Barkley is a running back prospect with a rare combination of speed, athleticism, and polish, and the Giants, who desperately need a running back, understandably found it hard to pass on Barkley. Yes, they opted to save other positions for later, but they made up for passing on these positions rather quickly.
In Round 2, they selected Will Hernandez, who will give opposing linemen fits at the next level. He and Barkley make for one of the most dangerous Round 1, Round 2 combinations selected by any team. In Round 3, the Giants then turned to defense, picking developmental edge rusher Lorenzo Carter and then athletic defensive lineman B.J. Hill.
They continued their solid draft on Day 3. Although they only had two picks, they made them count. In Round 6, they picked stout run stuffer R.J. McIntosh to provide depth on the defensive line, and with their fourth-round pick, the Giants selected Richmond quarterback Kyle Lauletta.
Lauletta might not challenge to start right away like Darnold or Rosen, but he is one of the most accurate quarterbacks in the 2018 NFL Draft, and he has traits that can easily be molded. The Giants have said that they are currently committed to Eli Manning for the foreseeable future (thank goodness), and so Lauletta is waiting in the wings for now. But if the Giants wanted to atone for passing on one of the draft’s quarterbacks, then they did just that by picking Lauletta in Round 4. Lauletta can start in a year or two, if needed, and he has traits that bode well for his success.
The Giants made sure to diversify their selections in the 2018 NFL Draft, and for a relatively solid team with a fair number of holes, this was a smart philosophy. They revamped their offensive attack with the first two picks, while simultaneously planning for the future later on. The Giants had a very good draft this year. This draft will give the Washington Redskins competition in 2018, and its impact will linger down the road, in the form of Kyle Lauletta. He will start in the NFL soon enough.
New York Giants Draft Grade: A-
Next: Three UDFAs who could make the Redskins roster
The Washington Redskins made a case for the best 2018 NFL Draft class in the NFC East, but they aren’t alone. The New York Giants are right there with them. Both teams added talent in key areas, and although the Giants had three less picks, their selections should provide a similar impact. Of course, no rookie has played a down of professional football. In time, we will find out who truly had the best class in the NFC East. But on paper, the Redskins stack up fairly well.