Redskins 2019 College Football Championship mock draft
By Ian Cummings
Round 7
Pick No. 13 – OT Mitch Hyatt – Clemson
It’s at this point in the National Championship draft that most of the top-end talent available has trickled away. Needing a tackle for depth purposes, this pick is somewhat involuntary. But Mitch Hyatt does bring a few traits to the table as a reserve.
Going off of paper accomplishments alone, you’d assume Hyatt was a first-round pick. He was a five-star recruit coming out of high school, and he’s received several All-ACC honors as a four-year starter for the Clemson Tigers. But what he has in size (6-foot-5, 300) and experience, he lacks in physicality and polish. He doesn’t possess a great deal of upside at the NFL level, but at this point in the draft, picking off of size and experience alone is a passable choice.
Pick No. 38 – QB Kelly Bryant – Clemson
Another case of “if this were 2020 or 2021” hits. Alabama and Clemson both have quarterbacks rostered who could end up being first-round prospects in the near future. Tua Tagovailoa was a Heisman finalist this year, and Trevor Lawrence is widely considered to have one of the most talented arms in football. But Tagovailoa can declare in 2020, at the earliest. Lawrence? 2021.
A quite obvious problem arises from this quandary. The Redskins’ quarterback situation is anything but settled in 2019. Alex Smith might not play. Colt McCoy and Josh Johnson are the next men up, if Johnson even gets re-signed. It’s safe to say Washington will need to study up on their draft quarterbacks this year. And while Kelly Bryant isn’t a coveted choice, he does bring some upside to work with, if the team decides to tank and recoup later on.
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Bryant has good size at 6-foot-3, 220, and he’s a fairly mobile quarterback. According to Joe Marino of The Draft Network, he displayed promising mental traits on the field in 2017, working through progressions and throwing with anticipation. Ultimately, Bryant would lose the starting job to Trevor Lawrence, and as a senior entering the draft this year, he brings plenty of question marks. But if Washington goes this long without a quarterback, using a flier on Bryant’s mobility isn’t a bad idea.
Update: Kelly Bryant will be transferring to Missouri in 2019. With Bryant unavailable, Clemson safety Tanner Muse is the pick. More depth in the defensive backfield.