NFL Mock Draft 7.0: Giants, Patriots trade up; Redskins land defensive help

The Redskins are probably going to go with either a quarterback or the best available edge rusher with this pick. In this scenario, all of the top quarterbacks are off the board. So, the team will take a pass rushers here.

At the points, the debate will be about whether the Redskins take Brian Burns or Clelin Ferrell. While Ferrell may be the more well-rounded player overall, Burns should have the edge if he’s on the board. He’s an elite athlete who will be a dynamic pass rusher at the next level.

Burns is a great athlete whose bend is evident on the edge. He can get very low to the ground, has excellent speed and get off, and quickly closes the gap between himself and the pass rusher. He should give the Redskins something that they have lacked on the edge for a while. And that’s speed.

While the now-departed Preston Smith had great athletic ability, he was never a speed rusher. He used his length and combination of speed and strength to make an impact on the line of scrimmage. Burns won’t offer the same strength as he’s on the lighter side (he measured at 249 pounds at the combine but played at a lighter weight at Florida State) but the athleticism and burst he will provide on the edge will be enough to make him a solid rotational player.

The one concern with Burns that will cause him to drop a bit lower than some expect is that he isn’t a great run defender. Because of his lighter frame, he wasn’t able to set the edge as much and wasn’t as good against the run as a guy like Sweat of Ferrell. Some teams might see him as more of a pass-rushing specialist, so they may be reluctant to use a top-10 pick on him.

The Redskins could pair Burns with Ryan Anderson to make a dynamic duo across from Ryan Kerrigan. Even if Burns doesn’t pan out as a run defender, he will make an impact as a rotational rusher. That said, if the Redskins want a more well-rounded player, it’s well within the realm of possibility that they take Ferrell here.