Washington Redskins post-NFL Combine seven-round mock
By Ian Cummings
After the 2019 NFL Combine, Brian Burns will undoubtedly be one of the most coveted edge rushers in the 2019 NFL Draft. There’s no sidestepping it.
But at the same time, Burns isn’t the only top-tier prospect who helped himself this past week. D.K. Metcalf could go inside the top five after solidifying himself as a transcendent wide receiver prospect. Greedy Williams could go top ten after running a sub 4.4 40-yard dash at 6-foot-2. And even fellow edge rusher Montez Sweat, who ran the fastest edge rusher 40-time ever at 4.41, could leapfrog Burns with his combine hype.
Sweat’s 40-time does not mean the Redskins should pick Sweat over Burns. Some will like Sweat more than I do, but after watching, Burns seems much more fluid and explosive than Sweat, and he’s just as refined as a rusher. Even with Sweat’s 40-time, Burns still logged a better RAS score with his agility drills (RAS is a measure to quantify a prospect’s athletic limitations and potential, designed by Inside the Pylon writer Kent Lee Platte).
If the Redskins let Preston Smith walk in free agency, then Brian Burns should be their No. 1 target at pick No. 15. Yes, other needs on offense can be filled (I’d almost prefer to fill them), but Burns would be the best player available at a position of equal need. The only questions surrounding Burns, entering the combine, pertained to his weight, and he weighed in at 250, then proceeded to dominate movement drills. His status as a top-tier prospect is in stone now, and if he drops to No. 15, he’s a no-brainer for the Redskins.