Five Redskins players who received votes of confidence in the draft
By Ian Cummings
No. 2 – All of the Redskins tight ends
After all the offseason hype and hot takes and articles discussing tight ends worth taking by the Redskins in Round 1, the Redskins went ahead and drafted zero tight ends, not only making me look bad, but making others look to their current tight end core, a group that will remain unchanging after all.
The group is headlined by two uncertain assets in Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis. Reed is a constant injury threat, while Davis recently turned 35 years old. Behind them, there’s Jeremy Sprinkle, the 2017 fifth-round pick. Then former camp signings Matt Flanagan, J.P. Holtz, and Manasseh Garner.
The tight ends at the top of the Redskins depth chart are uncertain, at the very least, and the tight ends behind them are almost complete unknowns. And yet, the Redskins seem confident with this group. They had nine draft selections, and didn’t use a single one on the position. Perhaps they feel as if Reed and Davis have more utility than what meets the eye. And perhaps they’re truly confident that the competition behind Reed and Davis will bring out the best in the reserves.
Whatever the case, the Redskins choice to avoid tight end altogether in the 2019 NFL Draft is a peculiar one. There’s a reason for every pick they made, but one could make the argument tight end should have been included on Day 3. But the results are in. The Redskins are committed to the group they have now. They still believe Jordan Reed can be an explosive game changer. They still believe Vernon Davis is worth his cap figure. And in 2019, they’ll either reap the benefits, or suffer the consequences.