Redskins should have Day 2 interest in Chris Lindstrom, Dalton Risner

The Washington Redskins have long had a hole at the left guard position. On Day 2 of the 2019 NFL Draft, they could be in position to add an impact player like Chris Lindstrom and Dalton Risner.

For the past five years, the Redskins have entered Week 1 with Shawn Lauvao as their starting left guard. Lauvao has mostly been a below-average, injury-prone player for the Redskins, but the team has failed to adequately replace him, choosing instead to invest in other positions across their team. That came back to bite them last year.

The Redskins’ offensive line depth was their biggest weakness entering the 2018 season and they paid the price for that problem. Lauvao and Brandon Scherff went down early in the season, and that started a string of injuries that wiped out the team’s top options at guard. They ended up with their seventh- and eighth-string players seeing starting action at the position. That can’t be allowed to happen again, and to help out there they will need to add some talent in free agency or the draft.

While the Redskins haven’t shown an interest in adding a first-round interior lineman in recent years — Jay Gruden doesn’t see the value of selecting a guard early, even despite the success of the Scherff selection — they could certainly target one on Day 2 of the draft. And if they want to grab someone in the second round, Boston College’s Chris Lindstrom and Kansas State’s Dalton Risner are a couple of players that should interest the squad after their performance in the Senior Bowl.

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Lindstrom was one of the best interior offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl, and his skill set was on display during the contest. Lindstrom was responsible for blasting open some holes in the run game and generally speaking, he looked strong and solid when on the field. He’s a good technician with very good functional strength and should be a plug-and-play starter at the NFL level.

Meanwhile, Risner played next to Lindstrom for a good chunk of the day, manning the right tackle position. Risner showed strength as well and his feet and blocking ability were impressive as well. He may be best served to move inside in the NFL, but he still has the skill set needed to serve as an emergency tackle as well. One of his best traits is his play recognition and ability to pick up blitzes and stunts, so that will make him an appealing target for many teams.

Both Lindstrom and Risner could have a chance to sneak into the latter end of the first round, especially Risner because of the lack of overall talent at the tackle position. That said, either member of the duo could also last to the team’s second-round pick at 14th overall. If that happens, the Redskins should certainly draft one of these guys, as it will do a lot to make sure they plug one of their biggest holes on the offensive side of the ball. And if they draft a quarterback in the first round, it will ensure that he will be properly protected during his rookie season.

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The offensive line is a big need for the Redskins. Grabbing either one of these guys would do a lot to strengthen the unit and at least give them a chance to get back to having one of the stronger offensive lines in the NFL.

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