MORGANTOWN, WV – NOVEMBER 23: Marquise Brown #5 of the Oklahoma Sooners catches and runs for a 45 yard touchdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers on November 23, 2018 at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
The Washington Redskins are probably going to ramp up their scouting for the 2019 NFL Draft soon. These are the players that they should be watching during the conference championship games on Saturday.
The Redskins season is in full swing, and the team is trying to compete in what’s looking like a tight NFC East. While that’s going on, behind the scenes, the team is evaluating their personnel and they will be looking to add some quality players to their squad in the 2019 NFL Draft.
On the first day of December, the Redskins will get a chance to look at some of the best prospects in college football in some of the biggest games of the year. Most of the conferences championship games across college football are taking place tomorrow, and the team is going to be trying to identify some quality players that may be worthy of early-round picks.
This year, Alabama-Georgia, Ohio State-Northwestern, Clemson-Pittsburgh, and Oklahoma-Texas will be some of the best games to watch. And they are loaded with potential pro prospects. With that in mind, here’s a look at five prospects that the Redskins should be watching on Saturday, as they could be options for the squad in the 2019 NFL Draft.
The Redskins could need a top corner this offseason. Josh Norman may be released while Quinton Dunbar is dealing with a troublesome injury in his shin that has prevented him from stepping the next step as a No. 1 corner. So, the team will consider a corner at some point in the draft.
DeAndre Baker is a solid option. The Georgia corner has been good in coverage this year, and he has logged multiple interceptions in each of the past three seasons. He’s a well-rounded player and has the potential to be a starter at the NFL level.
Alabama’s receiving corps is loaded with NFL talent, so the Georgia corner will get one of his best tests of the year in this contest. If Baker can hold his own or even shut down an opponent, that will give him a good chance to emerge as one of the better corners in this class.
If the Redskins decide that they want to add talent to their secondary, they will probably try to add an upper-echelon corner. Unless they really like what they’ve seen out of Greg Stroman and Danny Johnson, they will probably add one player at the least — especially if they do part ways with Norman.
I’m not a big fan of the 2019 quarterback class, but the Redskins will certainly consider selecting a player at the position in wake of the Alex Smith injury. They need some young talent at the position, so they could consider grabbing someone they believe in, though they may be best served waiting until the superior 2020 class.
That said, if the Redskins do target a quarterback on the earlier side, Dwayne Haskins will draw consideration. The Ohio State passer has more upside than most available in this class, and if he declares, he could work himself into late-first round consideration. Right now, he seems more like a Day 2 pick.
FanSided’s Brad Weiss did recently connect Haskins to the Redskins in a recent mock draft. Here’s what Weiss said about Haskins in that piece.
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"When it comes to the Redskins, they have to start thinking about their future at quarterback, as Smith’s career is in serious jeopardy. They may want to draft a signal-caller in the first round in 2019, and a guy like Dwayne Haskins has all the talent to be a legitimate starting quarterback in the NFL. Haskins has had a monster season for the Buckeyes, leading them to an 11-1 regular season record, a blowout win against Michigan, and a spot in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Redskins need to find an answer at quarterback moving forward, and they just may roll the dice on the big fella from Ohio State."
Personally, I think that the Redskins should wait on a quarterback if they take one. They should build up the rest of their roster and then target a guy in 2020. That said, if they do go after a guy early in 2019, Haskins has some potential, so he’s interesting at the very least. We’ll be watching him closely against Northwestern and we’ll see if he can will Ohio State into the College Football Playoffs.
The Redskins love Alabama defenders. They have proven that by taking Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne in the first rounds of each of the past two years. They could make it three if they consider going after Mack Wilson.
Wilson is a player that is going to see a lot of intrigue from NFL scouts. Coverage linebackers are important in the game today, especially with passing offenses on the rise, and Wilson’s best skill is his cover ability.
In the past two seasons, Wilson has six picks and has been a solid tackler. He’s a good athlete who understands where he needs to be on the field at most times. Wilson would be an immediate starter for the Redskins on defense, and the team would definitely be better at covering tight ends with Wilson in the fold.
Wilson is the guy to watch on Alabama, as he fills a need and could be an early-round pick. That said, offensive lineman Ross Pierschbacher could also be an interesting option if the team wants a mid-round guard. Any Alabama player will garner consideration for this team anyway, so just watch that team closely in general.
The Redskins really need to add some depth on the edge. Preston Smith has been merely decent at best this year and is a free agent. Meanwhile, Ryan Kerrigan is starting to get older and while he is still playing relatively well, he could decline in the near future.
Thankfully for the Redskins, 2019 NFL Draft class is loaded at the edge rush position. Of the group that could fall to the team in the first round of the draft, Clelin Ferrell is one of the most intriguing players that could be available.
According to WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell, Ferrell may go later than some expect. Here’s what Campbell said in a recent rumor mill post.
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"Another player who could end up going lower than expected is Clemson defensive end Clelin Ferrell. From his performance this year, one general manager said they thought Ferrell would go in the mid- to late first round. A director of college scouting also said they also projected Ferrell to the mid- to late portion of the opening night of the 2019 NFL Draft."
That means that Ferrell could actually end up being in range for the Redskins on draft night. A lot will change in the next five months, but for now, he’s a player that the team could possibly get. And the idea of grabbing him to be the team’s top edge rusher for the next decade certainly will be an intriguing one.
Ferrell and Clemson should dominate Pittsburgh in the ACC Championship game, so this may be some good tape for him as he prepares for the 2019 NFL Draft.
I really think that the Redskins need to add some depth to their receiving corps. Josh Doctson has emerged as a potential TD threat and Trey Quinn looks like he can do some damage in the slot.
However, the team needs more explosive, playmaking ability at the position. While the return of Paul Richardson could help in this area, he is unproven and has struggled with health during his NFL career. Still, the team needs to add some playmakers to give Alex Smith and Colt McCoy some weapons and potentially set up a future, young quarterback for success in the nation’s capital.
Of all the receivers in the 2019 NFL Draft, Marquise “Hollywood” Brown is one of the most intriguing. While Brown is very light and only has a 5-foot-11 frame, but he has truly game-breaking speed. Brown could end up being the next T.Y. Hilton, and he will definitely be a downfield threat in the NFL.
Brown would bring something to the Redskins that they are seriously lacking. And that is speed. He has the upside of a No. 1 receiver and provided that he can bulk up a bit to avoid becoming injury prone, he is worth an investment as a potential late-first to early second round pick.
Brown definitely should be watched in the Big 12 Championship Game. If you haven’t yet gotten to see his game-breaking speed in action, you won’t be disappointed by what he shows on Saturday.