The Washington Redskins are armed with the No. 15 overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft. Here’s a very early look at some of the players that could be available when they’re on the clock.
The Redskins 2018 season has come to an end, and that means that it’s time to start looking forward. Hopefully, there are brighter days ahead for the Washington franchise. While that may seem doubtful at the moment, the team still has a fairly strong unit evaluating the draft, as Doug Williams and Kyle Smith will have a chance to help continue to find great players.
In the past couple of drafts, the Redskins have unearthed starters like Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Fabian Moreau along with a plethora of quality role players. And Derrius Guice is also likely to emerge as the team’s lead back in 2019 after missing his rookie year with a torn ACL.
The point is that the ‘Skins’ front office should have a chance to add talent during the draft and given their recent first-round hits, there should be some excitement as they look to add another quality playmaker. With the 15th overall pick, they have a lot of options, but here’s a look at their five best ones at this point in draft season.
I’m admittedly not a huge fan of this quarterback class, but a couple of the top options are starting to grow on me. It seems possible — if not, probable — that Dwayne Haskins ends up being the first quarterback off the board, and that will likely happen in the top five. Beyond him, there are a couple of quarterbacks that could go in the first round, and the Redskins will certainly have some level in interest in them.
Both Daniel Jones and Drew Lock are probably going to go in the first round. Because of the nature of the NFL, teams are more willing to take passers in the first round, even if they aren’t complete products. This is because it takes time to develop a quarterback, and veteran quarterbacks are becoming increasingly expensive. And with huge cap hits, it’s hard for teams to build around these guys that are making $25 million plus per year.
Rookie QB contracts help to mitigate the risk of financial investment in a quarterback, as the only opportunity cost for taking a top quarterback in Round 1 is another potential playmaker. And while that can sometimes be a lot, quarterback is still the most important position on the field, so getting a capable one can be helpful.
But, I digress. The point here is that Jones and Lock will draw consideration from the ‘Skins, especially if they get a firmer understanding of Alex Smith’s injury. And if they end up taking a QB, Jones seems like the slightly better option right now. Jones has a big frame, good athletic ability, and was tutored by David Cutcliffe, meaning that he has a great understanding of how to play the position. He could become a very solid QB at the NFL level so if he’s on the board at 15, the Redskins will consider him.
Of course, as mentioned before, the opportunity cost of taking a guy like Jones could be big. There are plenty of other needs that the team has on the roster, and taking a potential-based quarterback could be too risky. For that reason, Jones is a lower priority at the moment, but things could change if he performs well during draft season.
This might not be a popular option, but it’s important to take a look at the state of the Redskins’ offensive line. They’re not the strong-looking unit that they once were, and they certainly haven’t lived up to the “Hogs 2.0” moniker they gave themselves a couple seasons ago.
Trent Williams is still playing well, but he has had trouble staying healthy. Morgan Moses has regressed at right tackle, and he commits way too many penalties to be trusted. On the interior of the line, Chase Roullier has been solid at center and played every offensive snap this year. Brandon Scherff is a perennial Pro Bowler, but he needs to stay healthy for a change.
And then, there’s left guard — a bottomless abyss of pain and misery for the team.
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At left guard, the Redskins have started a plethora of players this year. Shawn Lauvao, Tony Bergstrom, Ty Nsekhe, and Zac Kerin are the four most prominent, but other players have mixed in as well. None have panned out. The team desperately needs to find a solution at the position. And if they looked to do it early, Cody Ford could end up being a great option.
Ford is a big, strong blocker that should play either guard or right tackle in the NFL. Ford has a well-built 6-foot-4, 337-pound frame and should be a plug-and-play starter. Playing alongside Trent Williams, Ford would be a big-time upgrade and should provide some stability for the Washington quarterback, whoever it may be. For that reason, he deserves some strong consideration.
Of course, it’s worth noting that Jay Gruden doesn’t seem to be a fan of investing high-round picks in guards. So, unless they believe that Ford could ultimately start at guard and then move outside to left tackle as the successor to Williams, they probably won’t take him. But still, they should take a good, long look at him as he may be one of the best prospects on the board when they’re picking.
The Redskins could have a hole at edge rush, and either way, they need some depth. Preston Smith is hitting free agency, and it’s unclear whether or not the team will keep him around. But if they don’t, Jachai Polite would be a great replacement option.
Both Smith and Polite are very good athletes, but Polite has the tools needed to be the speed threat that Smith never really developed into. That would add another element to the defensive front, and it would definitely add strength to the pass rush.
As Kyle Crabbs of The Draft Network noted, Polite has the makings of a solid speed rusher. Here’s what Crabbs said in an early-October scouting report on Polite.
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"Jachai Polite illustrates flashes of brilliance as a speed rusher. Capable of releasing with suddenness from a two point stance and gaining large amounts of turf in steps two and three in order to gain leverage on the edge. Athletic ability translates beyond short area explosiveness and into lateral mobility and slipping blocks at the point of attack as well. Polite shows understanding of how and when to fold back inside against over-committed blockers and gain penetration into protection."
Polite could become a playmaker, and he would be a great foil to Ryan Kerrigan, who tends to win thanks to his motor, strength, and pass rushing moves as opposed to his pure speed. Having a different type of player would make the defense more versatile and give more flexibility to the team’s defensive coordinator.
The ‘Skins will have to make a decision about Josh Norman in the near future. They could save a lot of money by parting ways with him, and it’s unclear whether or not their relationship will continue into the 2019 season.
If Washington does end up parting with Norman, they will be a bit thin at corner. They have some nice young pieces in the secondary — Fabian Moreau, Greg Stroman, and Danny Johnson have all flashed ability at times — but the squad could stand to add a true No. 1 to the group, especially if Quinton Dunbar‘s shin continues to give him issues.
Greedy Williams would be a great option to do that. Williams is one of the best corners in the 2019 NFL Draft class, and the LSU corner has been a great playmaker the past two years. He has racked up eight picks in just 24 college games, and opposing teams tend to avoid throwing his way when they can. at 6-foot-2, 182 pounds, he has the size needed to cover true No. 1 receivers and shouldn’t be hampered by any limitations at the next level.
If Williams is available with the No. 15 pick, the Redskins will have to strongly consider him. He would definitely help to upgrade their defense, and there’s a chance that he’s on the board. Other corners that could garner consideration include DeAndre Baker and possible Byron Murphy (if he declares).
If the Redskins have a chance to take Clelin Ferrell, it would be hard to pass up on him. Ferrell is a proven producer who has gotten great coaching at Clemson. He would fill a big need on the edge, as he could replace Preston Smith across from Ryan Kerrigan or become the heir apparent to Kerrigan if Smith stays.
Ferrell has totaled 20 sacks during his last two years at Clemson. He has a nice combination of size and strength, and his 6-foot-5, 260-pound frame. He has scheme versatility, and the ‘Skins will certainly be able to find innovative ways to use him inside and outside with the team’s other young defensive linemen.
The one question with Ferrell is surrounding his athletic ability. Ferrell hasn’t looked quite as fast and explosive as he did last season, and that could cause him to drop to the mid-to-late first-round, as pointed out by WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell. That said, Ferrell still has a strong skill set and more than enough athletic ability to get by.
Ferrell would be an ideal fit with the Redskins. He could take over as a starter and become the next double-digit sack artist on the line. With him and Kerrigan on the edge, plus the trio of Daron Payne, Jonathan Allen, and Matt Ioannidis inside, the team’s pass rush would surely be a strength.