Re-ordering the Redskins draft needs after initial free agency
By Ian Cummings
No. 1 – Edge Rusher
The loss of Preston Smith was essentially a forgone conclusion before free agency. Now that it’s official, with Smith’s transition to the Green Bay Packers, the Redskins have a need on the edge opposite Ryan Kerrigan.
With most of free agency’s starting edge options exhausted, the Redskins will need to invest draft capital at that spot. One could argue that Ryan Anderson deserves a chance to start; after all, he’s a former second-round pick who flashed in limited opportunities last year.
But past the surface, the projections are less promising for Anderson. He could be very strong against the run, but he just doesn’t have the traits the Redskins should be seeking from a starting edge rusher. In an edge draft class as stacked at the 2019 NFL Draft, the Redskins can’t afford to be caught settling at the most important defensive position.
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So who might the Redskins pick? Past Nick Bosa, no one is truly off the table. Josh Allen is unlikely, but as we’ve seen over the past few years, anyone can drop. The same goes for Brian Burns, who’s been mocked anywhere from the top five to the top twenty-five this offseason. Burns, in my opinion, is a top five player in the entire draft, and if the Redskins have the opportunity to pick him at No. 15, they have to pull the trigger. If he’s gone, players like Montez Sweat, Clelin Ferrell, and Jachai Polite could suffice as well.