Redskins hoping to build on recent success in the NFL Draft
By Ian Cummings
The Redskins will be pressed to succeed this year, despite the mounting adverse circumstances. To fend off another hard reset, they’ll need a lights-out draft haul.
Some franchises have the luxury of time, while others no longer need it. The Washington Redskins are stuck in the middle of the spectrum. The roster is a roller coaster to look at, and the team, while potentially capable of a 7-9 or 8-8 season, isn’t yet ready for playoff contention.
At the same time, however, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden needs to win to keep his job. After three seasons of fringe contention and little else, the ice beneath Gruden’s feet is as thin as it’s ever been. Injuries won’t be a competent excuse anymore. Gruden needs to win. And he needs his team to be ready in order to do it.
Thus, with less than a week before the 2019 NFL Draft, the Redskins will look to continue taking care of business in April, as they’ve done in recent years. Over the past two offseasons, the Redskins have selected eighteen players, and all eighteen of their selections over the past two years remain on the roster today. Six of those players are set to be starters in 2019, and even more could be in line for increased roles.
Some picks are still pending in a sense, for the Redskins. Derrius Guice was a top-tier talent at running back who fell to them in the second round, then tore his ACL and missed his rookie season. Shaun Dion Hamilton could start beside Reuben Foster, if given the opportunity. Trey Quinn seems to be in line for a premier slot role this year, but even he still has much to prove.
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The returns from Washington’s most recent drafts are still being processed, but early on, it appears as if the Redskins have found a groove during scouting season. The front office still lacks consistency, but from a player evaluation and acquisition standpoint, through the NFL Draft, they seem to be hitting their stride, with two solid hauls in a row. Time will tell if lightning strikes three times.