Redskins: Five 2020 NFL Draft prospects to watch in NCAA championship
By Ian Cummings
No. 3 – LSU OL Lloyd Cushenberry
Interior offensive line isn’t the need that it used to be for the Redskins. Ereck Flowers ascended into a competent starter at guard last year, and the team has the funds to re-sign him and Pro Bowl guard Brandon Scherff, if they desire to.
That said, you can never have enough depth on the offensive line, and the team’s interior depth is due to take a hit with veteran Tony Bergstrom unlikely to return. The team still has young players like Wes Martin and Ross Pierschbacher, but proven depth yet eludes, and if either Flowers or Scherff leaves this offseason, the problem is only compounded.
Thus, the Redskins should keep a weary eye out for quality interior options in the middle rounds of the 2020 NFL Draft. They’ll find one particular option on the LSU team tonight: Interior offensive lineman Lloyd Cushenberry.
Cushenberry lines up at center for the LSU Tigers, but he has the athleticism to provide versatility at the next level. Particularly, his mobility and eagerness to make plays in space speaks to his positional flexibility. Cushenberry is 6-foot-4, 315, and yet, he offers very strong movement skills for his size. He has the mauler gene that scouts seek in their linemen, and he flourishes both in congested environments and in space.
Cushenberry has a lot of development to go, in terms of both leverage and lower-body mechanics. But for the Redskins, he’d offer the physical traits to form a solid baseline, as well as exciting developmental potential. He’s a likely third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, but a one-round variance in either direction can’t be ruled out.