With the Redskins initial coaching change now in the rear view mirror, the focus has officially shifted to the future.
Once, the biggest storyline of 2019 was the future of Jay Gruden as the Washington Redskins. With that segment concluded, the eyes now rest on the aftermath. How will the Redskins replace him long-term? How will they respond to this surprisingly inadequate season? And how will they recoup in the 2020 NFL Draft?
In today’s Saturday Spotlight, we take a closer look at the last question. There’ll be plenty of time for more mock drafts in the spring of 2020, but for now, we’ll settle for a mid-season, seven-round projection, to analyze just one of many scenarios Washington could opt to follow.
As of now, where do the Redskins stand on draft day, from both a needs and a positioning standpoint? Using The Draft Network’s mock draft machine, let’s take a look!
In this mock, the Redskins picked at No. 2 overall, behind the Cincinnati Bengals. The first pick was predictably a quarterback, leaving Washington with an interesting choice on their hands.
One of the most important positions on offense versus one of the most important positions on defense. Offensive tackle versus edge rusher. Andrew Thomas versus Chase Young.
Give me one hundred days to make this decision one hundred different times, and I might go 55-45 in favor of Thomas. It’s a close call, as Ohio State’s Chase Young is a near-generational athletic talent, and with Ryan Kerrigan close to fading, passing up a talent such as Young would be dangerous.
But the Dwayne Haskins factor won out in this particular scenario; the Redskins to invest everything they have into protecting their quarterback and preserving his development. And Georgia’s Andrew Thomas serves that purpose well.
Thomas, standing at around 6-foot-5, 320, is one of the most exceptionally complete tackle prospects to hit the draft cycle in recent years. Against No. 9-ranked Notre Dame, he wowed onlookers with his mobility, presence, and fundamental prowess. He has the length and power to impose himself quickly, and he has the lateral lightness of feet to stick with faster edge rushers and negate outside maneuvers.
As of now, it looks like the chances of Trent Williams returning to the Redskins are, at the very least, weakening. For now, the front office seems to stubborn to trade him, but if they eventually come to their senses, they’ll need a new blindside blocker for their franchise quarterback. Andrew Thomas fits the bill better than anybody else.
In a previous NFL Draft post, I highlighted C.J. Henderson as one of the 2020 NFL Draft’s long, athletic cornerbacks, in a class where there are many. Henderson has legitimate first-round upside, but in a class such as this, it’s very possible that he could slip.
Henderson is a top-flight athlete with the speed, explosive burst, and hip fluidity to be a top cornerback at the next level. He also carries with him the attitude of a No. 1 cornerback, and if the Redskins were to move on from Josh Norman in 2020, Henderson would make fans forget.
At 6-foot-1, Henderson couples his athleticism with a solid frame, and although he should work to keep filling out that frame, he has a very impressive athletic foundation for NFL teams to build off of.
If there’s any reason Henderson falls to the top of Round 3, it’s inconsistency. He hasn’t yet strung together back-to-back dominant efforts in 2019, and tackling has been a concern. Whether it’s a bad angle, bad technique, or lackadaisical effort, Henderson’s tackling has been spotty.
In a deep cornerback class, there’s drop potential there, and the Redskins could be the beneficiaries if he slips this far. With some fine tuning, Henderson can be one of the 2020 NFL Draft’s best value picks.
So Jordan Reed was supposed to be ready for Week 1, as Jay Gruden said in a press conference ahead of the team’s Week 4 preseason matchup. Now, Week 6 is on the horizon, and Reed hasn’t as much as suited up for the team. They very well could have placed him on temporary injured reserve to start the season, but the unpredictability of Reed’s concussion caught them by surprise. Now, it’s hard to say when he’ll hit the field, if at all.
With Reed’s future growing more and more uncertain, and with the 35-year old Vernon Davis also battling injuries, the team’s current tight end core consists of Jeremy Sprinkle, Jerome Cunningham, and Hale Hentges, it’s safe to say the team needs another reliable threat at the tight end position.
In Round 4, Missouri’s Albert Okwuegbunam is a tremendous value deal. There’s a possibility he could play himself into Day 2 if he continues on his current pace; through five games, Okwuegbunam has five touchdown catches on just 12 receptions, and he’s established himself as a scoring machine at tight end. Throughout his Tigers career, he has 22 scores on 84 catches, good for a ratio of over 25 percent.
If anything knocks Okwuegbunam down the draft board, it will be the finer points of the game. He’s still not the most nuanced route runner, and he’s not necessarily as physical as his 6-foot-5, 255-pound frame would suggest. But he’s a very good vertical athlete for his size, and he brings developmental upside that the Redskins could use at the tight end position.
Earlier in the college football season, I highlighted three teams to keep a close eye on, due to the talent they possessed, and Michigan was one of those teams. One crucial reason why they were selected was their offensive line.
Michigan’s offensive line doesn’t have any top-tier prospects, but there are draftable players from end to end, and the group is headlined by interior offensive lineman Ben Bredeson, a long-time starter at guard who’s improved each year.
Bredeson, at 6-foot-5, 320, has impressive size for an interior blocker, and he brings a good combination of strength, mobility, and solid hand usage. There’s a chance the Redskins could already have their two starting guards for next season, but it doesn’t hurt to bolster the depth there with the extra compensatory pick.
Quartney Davis shouldn’t be available at this point, but in a staggeringly deep receiving class, he very well could be available at some point on Day 3. The Redskins have the luxury of picking at the very beginning of Round 5, and thus, they get the talent that trickles out of Round 4. That opportunity entails players like Davis.
Davis isn’t as flashy of a prospect as some of the top wide receivers in the 2020 NFL Draft, but he brings a pro potential that rivals some of those ranked higher than him. At 6-foot-2, 200, he has solid size for the receiver position, and he’s an easy mover to go along with it.
There aren’t a lot of holes in Davis’ game; he’s a mindful route runner who’s clearly advancing in that area, he’s a good athlete, and with multiple five-reception games under his belt this year, he’s starting to attain the tangible production that some scouts crave in particular.
Davis’ injury history, including a torn ACL, may be a knock in some departments, and in a deep, closely-ranked receiver class, it could be enough to send him into the rough. If he makes it that far, he’s a diamond that can’t be passed up. Davis would be a very nice compliment to Terry McLaurin on the outside.
On paper, the Redskins are set for the future at running back. Derrius Guice is still in the system, and he still has the upside to produce, if he can stay healthy. The same goes for fourth-round rookie Bryce Love, and Wendell Smallwood has been serviceable in his role this year.
But due to the inherent versatility of a running back role in an offense, taking a solid athlete late in the NFL Draft is a good habit to get into, in order to saturate one’s offense with dynamic threats. In this scenario, Illinois’ Reggie Corbin serves that purpose.
The Draft Network analyst Trevor Sikkema likened Corbin to NFL legend Darren Sproles, referencing Corbin’s agility and explosiveness as a runner. In 2018, Corbin reached eye-popping efficiency marks, averaging 8.5 yards per carry in a 1,085-yard, nine-touchdown campaign.
Corbin doesn’t have much production as a receiver, but he has the traits to make things happen after the catch, if he gets those schemed looks. His size is the likeliest reason he’s available in Round 7; at 5-foot-10, 195, he can stand to add some pounds. But don’t worry about him holding up in the NFL; his play style is predicated on making sure no one hits him to begin with.
The Redskins shouldn’t draft a quarterback early. I’ve said it numerous times, and I’ll say it again: Dwayne Haskins is the guy at quarterback, and a rough first impression shouldn’t change that. The quarterback development process is a long-term affair, and patience is a must. There’s no guarantee any player works out, but the Redskins have to be willing to give Haskins the time and the resources to make it possible.
That said, while drafting a quarterback early on should be avoided, in the later rounds, the acquisition of a signal caller carries more merit. The Redskins have two veteran quarterbacks with expiring contracts in Case Keenum and Colt McCoy, and it wouldn’t hurt to have cheap insurance if, far down the line, Haskins proves he isn’t the right man for the job.
It’s unlikely Brian Lewerke lasts this long in the 2020 NFL Draft; he’s mounting a very solid 2019 campaign, and has rebounded nicely from his forgettable 2018 season. If Lewerke continues along his current trajectory, he could be a mid-round pick in April. But in this simulation, he was available in Round 7, and thus, he constitutes a very nice value deal at the most important position.
If you’ve read my work for a while, you know by now I’m a Michigan State fan, so this is a bit of a homer pick. But the press coverage surrounding Lewerke’s 2018 season was unfair, to say the least. Lewerke regressed, but his situation was an amalgam of terrible circumstances. His throwing shoulder was injured, his offensive line was porous, and the offense was riddled with injuries.
Now, in 2019, with a new play caller, healthy weapons, and a healthy shoulder, Lewerke has restored his confidence. His arm talent is on display once again, and while his accuracy can wane, he can generate velocity with ease, and can have laser-like precision when his base is set. He does need to work on his footwork in the pocket, but his athleticism bails him out of tough situations often, and allows him to extend plays.
Lewerke’s biggest issue is consistency, and that is what will cause him to drop in the draft. But in 2019, he’s righted the ship; in six games, he’s thrown for 1,543 yards, 11 touchdowns, and just two interceptions, already eclipsing his touchdown totals from the 2018 season.
For the Redskins, Lewerke brings quarterback insurance on a cheap rookie deal. With two veterans set to leave, it’s a good bet that at least one of them does, and thus, the Redskins need a third quarterback. Lewerke is a high-upside passer to place in that role.