Redskins: Prospects to watch in the College Football Playoff championship game

BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 03: Deionte Thompson #14 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after the LSU Tigers missed a second half field goal at Tiger Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Alabama won the game 29-0. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
BATON ROUGE, LA - NOVEMBER 03: Deionte Thompson #14 of the Alabama Crimson Tide reacts after the LSU Tigers missed a second half field goal at Tiger Stadium on November 3, 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Alabama won the game 29-0. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /
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MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 29: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to pass against the Oklahoma Sooners during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
MIAMI, FL – DECEMBER 29: Tua Tagovailoa #13 of the Alabama Crimson Tide looks to pass against the Oklahoma Sooners during the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Notable Future Prospects

QB Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (2020) and QB Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (2021). It’s no secret that the Redskins have a need at quarterback. Alex Smith‘s career is possibly over and even if it’s not, his contract will impact the team negatively in the next few seasons.

With that said, the team is likely to draft a first-round quarterback at some point to reap the rewards of a four-to-five year rookie deal. If they do, targeting either Tagovailoa or Lawrence would make sense.

Tagovailoa has been one of the most consistent and dynamic players in college football during his second season. Notable for his come-from-behind victory over Georgia in his first extensive action as a true freshman, Tagovailoa has fantastic arm talent, good mobility, and excellent accuracy. If he can continue to improve upon his game, there’s a good chance he will be the No. 1 overall pick in 2020.

While some will point out that the Redskins may not be picking with that selection, the fact is that they can trade up for a quarterback if they do a good enough job of filling other needs this offseason. So, Tagovailoa is definitely a future option to watch.

Next. 2018 season grades for the Redskins RBs. dark

As for Lawrence, the current true freshman is a longer-term option, but his performance in 2018 has been nothing short of spectacular. His accuracy and arm strength combination are ridiculous for a teenager, and he should only improve with time. He’s a guy that the team could consider a couple years down the line if their stopgap options at quarterback don’t work out.