Washington Redskins: 15 best draft day steals of all-time

Interestingly enough, before the Redskins drafted a supposed franchise quarterback and his successor in the 2012 NFL Draft with Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins, they did the same thing in 1994.

Needing a quarterback after the collapse of Mark Rypien’s reign, the Redskins drafted Tennessee standout Heath Shuler with the No. 3 overall pick in the 1994 NFL Draft. It seemed as if Shuler would be given the keys to the kingdom, but Washington came back in the seventh round and picked another signal caller: Tulsa’s Gus Frerotte.

Frerotte would get his extended opportunity quicker than Cousins; Shuler never left the runway as the Redskins franchise quarterback, throwing for 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions while completing under fifty percent of his passes in his rookie year. He was given the starting job to start his second season, but poor play sullied his reputation further, and injuries kept him from proving his doubters wrong.

By the end of the season, Frerotte was the one taking snaps under center, and he’d thrown over for over 2,700 yards and 13 touchdowns in 11 starts.

The ultimate bargain at quarterback, Frerotte would go on to be the Redskins’ full-time starter for three seasons, amassing a stat log of 9,769 yards, 48 touchdowns, and 44 interceptions in 52 games played, with 46 starts.

Frerotte also earned a Pro Bowl bid in 1996. He’d ultimately be succeeded at the end of his rookie deal, and he’d go on to carve out a respectable career as a solid backup and spot starter.

Faced with the notion that seventh-round quarterbacks never amounted to anything in the NFL, Frerotte lowered his head, fearless and charged at convention. He never won anything meaningful for Washington, but for a seventh-round pick, Frerotte was much more than what was bargained for.