Redskins: Top 10 quarterback big board after the Senior Bowl

Currently, the top three quarterbacks on my board are all clustered together to an extent. Realistically, they could go in any order, and it’s quite possible that the aforementioned Murray goes ahead of any of these options as well. Because of the lack of separation between these three candidates, it’s hard to truly rank them because they are so close, in my book.

Daniel Jones clocks in as the No. 1 option on my initial list. The Duke passer is one of the safer overall quarterbacks in this draft. He may have a lower ceiling than the other potential first-round quarterbacks, but he has a very high floor. Since this quarterback class is considered to be weak, it will be interesting to see if teams take on more of a sure-thing like Jones or target one of the other top option.

The Redskins are one of the teams showing interest in Jones. Doug Williams was at Jones’ bowl game and recently, reports surfaced that the Redskins like Jones and think they may need to trade up to get him. While it’s unclear if that will actually come to fruition, the fact of the matter is that the ‘Skins are looking at and are interested in Jones.

In terms of skill set, Jones is a smart passer with a solid arm and high football IQ. He got great coaching from David Cutcliffe at Duke. Cutcliffe, of course, is notable for working with Peyton Manning at the collegiate level. So, getting that type of tutelage may make Jones a bit more pro-ready coming out than some of the other passers.

That said, Jones still has to work on his decision making. During practice at the Senior Bowl, he was sometimes slow to pick a target and held onto the ball too long. That carried over into the game a bit, so that’s an area that he will have to sharpen. Still, Jones has talent and he was arguably the best quarterback on the field during the Senior Bowl game. So, while he wasn’t a standout in practice, he still deserves a slight stock up after the game.

Jones is a bit reminiscent of Carson Wentz, as both have big frames (each passer is 6-foot-5) and solid athleticism. Jones could follow a trajectory similar to Wentz, starting his career with an average-at-best season and then improving in the next two years. Jones will be above average at least, and he may play like a top-10 quarterback in spurts. Expect him to be a lock for the top-15 and for him to potentially be the first quarterback off the board.