The Washington Redskins don’t necessarily need to add cornerback talent. But with an opportunity to add Adonis Alexander, they may consider going after him in the 2018 supplemental draft.
The supplemental draft in the NFL is often an overlooked portion of the offseason. It doesn’t garner as much attention as the NFL Draft, and rightfully so as it involves far less action, but some quality players have come from the supplemental draft. Notably, Bernie Kosar, the last solid starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, was a first round pick in the 1985 supplemental draft. And since the turn of the millennium, talents like Ahmad Brooks and Josh Gordon have been selected and turned into quality contributors.
Of course, players in the supplemental draft often come with some sort of issues attached to them. Frequently, they are either deemed academically ineligible or are dismissed from their respective teams. And since there are so few players that meet the profile for this, there aren’t usually many players to be selected. That’s part of the reason that only three players have been chosen via supplemental picks since 2011.
However, 2018 could offer the first supplemental pick since the Rams took Isaiah Battle in 2015. Virginia Tech’s Adonis Alexander is going to enter his name into the mix after being ruled academically ineligible. This statement came via NFL agent Andy Ross.
This is an unfortunate situation for Alexander, as he was considered to be a potential mid-round talent next season. He sports a 6-foot-3 frame and he put forth solid performance in each of his three seasons at Virginia Tech. He totaled 125 tackles and seven picks during his career and while his numbers decreased each year, it stemmed more from players avoiding targeting him than a drop-off in performance. So, he clearly has some talent and could be an NFL caliber corner.
With improved performance, Alexander could have moved into second round consideration. But now, the lanky corner won’t get a chance to do so. But hearing his name called in the supplemental draft seems likely, and the Washington Redskins could have interest in him.
On the surface, the Redskins don’t have a need for a young player at corner. They already have third round pick Fabian Moreau and two seventh rounders in Greg Stroman and Joshua Holsey battling for playing time. And that’s not to mention potential starter Quinton Dunbar, who doesn’t turn 26 until late-July. That said, taking a risk on Alexander could prove to be a smart move for the Redskins for a multitude of reasons.
The case for a Alexander… And a caveat
The first is that the Redskins have a connection to Alexander in the form of defensive backs coach Torrian Gray. Before coming to Washington, Gray was the defensive backs coach at Virginia Tech, and he was there when the team recruited Alexander to play for the Hokies. So, if Gray is a big enough fan of Alexander, he could pound the table for him with one of the Redskins’ many picks.
Speaking of the Redskins draft capital, the team has a lot of it. The Redskins are likely to have 11 picks in the 2019 NFL Draft, as they are set to earn four compensatory picks because of the talent that they lost in free agency. Per Over The Cap, the Redskins are projected to add a third round pick for losing Kirk Cousins, and they will also add a fifth rounder and two sixth rounders as part of the compensatory formula. They can only add a maximum of four picks, and they will keep the best of the four.
That means that the team will have more flexibility in determining how to use that draft capital, so they could opt to use a pick a player like Alexander in the supplemental draft. That could be enough to convince the coaching staff and front office that Alexander is worth a shot.
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Also, it’s worth noting that the Redskins are dealing with uncertainty at the position. Josh Norman isn’t coming off his best season, though the injury he suffered midway through the year could be to blame for that, and currently, it seems that they may start Orlando Scandrick across from him. Scandrick has been injury prone during his career, so relying on him could be a risky proposition. So, carrying extra depth would make sense.
The caveat to all this is that if the Redskins do pick Alexander in the supplemental draft and then all their players stay healthy, the squad would have to make a decision about which player to cut. They are likely to carry six corners on their roster, and they appear to like all their current options. Even if Alexander is selected, there would be no guarantee that he would make the squad, and that may make the team want to pass on him. Solely because they already have enough upside at the position.
So, should the Redskins consider taking Alexander?
The short answer to this is absolutely. There’s no reason for them to just ignore the potential that Alexander brings to the table. But realistically, they should only target Alexander if they feel that the value is right for him.
Ideally, the Redskins could use their fourth or fifth round pick to get Alexander. Armed with two third round picks, one via the compensatory pick that will be awarded in the wake of Cousins’ signing with the Vikings, the Redskins don’t necessarily need two early picks on Day 3. They will already have made four picks by the time the fourth round starts, so losing one of those wouldn’t be a big deal. Especially is they end up adding a player like Alexander who has a lot of upside.
Still, this value has to be weighed in relation to what the Redskins will do with Alexander. Again, they could end up with seven quality corners on the roster, so one may be bound for the practice squad. That player would most likely be Alexander by virtue of the fact that he wouldn’t have as much time to learn the playbook and prove himself as his competition does.
So, the question then would be, do the Redskins want to spend a fourth or fifth round pick just to stash someone on the practice squad? It could work, but it would be risky. That will be a major factor in the team’s process regarding Alexander.
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Regardless, the facts remain. Alexander is a talented player who has experience working with Gray. He was a collegiate teammate of Stroman. He’s a local product. Realistically, the Redskins could decide to take him and try to stash one of their younger players on the practice squad. Or, they could cross-train someone at safety to allow them to keep seven corners. Either way, Alexander should garner some consideration for the Redskins and if they deem him worthy, they could make him the team’s first supplemental selection since they took Jeremy Jarmon in 2009.