Redskins top storylines to watch in the month of February
By Ian Cummings
No. 3 – The Redskins scouting process continues with the NFL Combine
On February 23, the offseason resumes from its short post-Super Bowl break, with the 2020 NFL Combine commencing in Indianapolis, Indiana. The scouting combine provides an active look at players’ athletic tendencies and traits, and while it’s out of the context of actual football, it provides a valuable look at what a prospect’s upside might be.
The Redskins have been known to draft top performers from the NFL Combine in recent years. In 2019, they traded back into the first-round to pick Montez Sweat, who ran a 4.42 40-yard dash at 6-foot-6, 260, with incredible length to couple with it. They also picked Terry McLaurin, who boasted elite athletic and mental traits at the receiver position, and Jordan Brailford late, who proved himself to raw athlete with enticing traits at the combine as well.
Prospects can also deflate their stock at the NFL Combine, as we saw Kelvin Harmon do last year. Harmon was given a second-round grade by some scouts, but after a combine performance that saw him turn in a 4.60 40-yard dash, as well as pedestrian agility and explosiveness testing numbers, he fell to Round 6, where the Redskins scooped him up. The Redskins will be aware of those potential value deals if they come up again.
In this year’s draft crop, there are a number of exciting athletes to watch. Chase Young is sure to set the combine on fire with his incredible athleticism, as are other top prospects such as Isaiah Simmons, Tristan Wirfs, and Jeffrey Okudah. But the Redskins, with just two picks on Days 1 and 2, can’t fixate on the top prospects. They have to take everything in, because the mid-round picks with the plus athletic traits often end up being the steals of the draft.