No. 4 – Quarterback
There are four needs that stand alone as the Redskins primary needs, and quarterback comes in at No. 4 on the list. Had the Redskins not traded for Case Keenum, and shaved his salary, this position may have been higher.
But instead, the Redskins have a stopgap in place for the 2019 season. Keenum isn’t going to win on his own, but he’s a competent placeholder in a friendly situation. Granted, Washington has work to do before they can consider their offense “friendly”. But Keenum gives them a higher floor, for a cheap price.
That said, if the Redskins want to compete in 2019, like they’ve led so many to believe, then they’ll certainly be interested in picking a quarterback at No. 15. They need to pick a quarterback in this draft no matter what; getting at least one signal caller on a rookie deal is a priority. But where that signal caller should be drafted is up to the decision maker.
In Round 1, the Redskins could trade up for Kyler Murray or Dwayne Haskins, or they could stand pat at No. 15 and pick either Drew Lock or Daniel Jones. The smarter option, however, might be to wait, and grab a passer later on. Brett Rypien stands out as a promising alternative late on Day 2 or even on Day 3. Either way, Keenum gives Washington some flexibility. But they can’t leave the position untouched.