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Breaking down the Redskins options to upgrade the tight end position

By Jacob Camenker

CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 15: Tyler Eifert #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after a San Francisco 49ers stop during the fourth quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images)
CINCINNATI, OH - SEPTEMBER 15: Tyler Eifert #85 of the Cincinnati Bengals reacts after a San Francisco 49ers stop during the fourth quarter of the game at Paul Brown Stadium on September 15, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Bobby Ellis/Getty Images) /
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SOUTH BEND, IN – NOVEMBER 23: Cole Kmet #84 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates after an 11-yard touchdown reception against the Boston College Eagles in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium on November 23, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Boston College 40-7. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
SOUTH BEND, IN – NOVEMBER 23: Cole Kmet #84 of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish celebrates after an 11-yard touchdown reception against the Boston College Eagles in the third quarter at Notre Dame Stadium on November 23, 2019 in South Bend, Indiana. Notre Dame defeated Boston College 40-7. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

NFL Draft

Unfortunately for the Redskins, the 2020 NFL Draft class is not very good at the tight end position. There figure to be no first-round picks among the group and it may take until the midpoint of the second-round before we see one go off the board.

The Redskins, unfortunately, don’t have a second-round pick at the moment. So, if the team is going to grab a tight end early, they’ll have to wait until the 66th overall pick at the beginning of Round 3 to consider grabbing one.

Even then, in such a weak class, there’s no guarantee that they could land a true starter at that point. And if that’s the case, the ‘Skins may be better served just to take a flyer on a potential-based option on Day 3 of the draft.

Washington Commanders
Washington Commanders /

Washington Commanders

Either way, here are some of the players that should intrigue them.

Cole Kmet, Notre Dame. Kmet will likely be the first tight end off the board in the draft. The Notre Dame product has great size (6-foot-6, 262 pounds) yet clocked strong athletic testing numbers including a 4.7-second 40-yard dash. Kmet caught six touchdowns for the Fighting Irish in his final season and should have a chance to emerge as a starter early thanks to his NFL-ready body.

Albert Okwuegbunam, Missouri. Talk about shining at the combine. The 6-foot-5, 258-pound tight end blazed a ridiculous 4.49-second 40-yard dash which is the fourth-fastest 40-yard dash by a tight end since 2003. Okwuegbunam was a big touchdown threat at Missouri catching 23 on 98 career catches and averaged 12.1 yards per catch. He has some maturity concerns but has sky-high potential and could become an athletic mismatch at the NFL level.

Adam Trautman, Dayton. Trautman was a massive producer at Dayton recording 70 catches for 916 yards and 14 touchdowns with the FCS school. He performed well at the Senior Bowl and inspired hope that he could be a complete tight end at the next level. He’s not a great athlete but he looked great in the drills at the combine and should be a solid blocker and all-around player at the next level.

Thaddeus Moss, LSU. Moss is the son of Randy Moss and is coming off a big season for LSU. He caught 47 passes for 570 yards and four touchdowns and should be a solid receiver at the NFL level. Moss is a bit on the smaller side (6-foot-3) and is merely a decent athlete, but he has a knack for finding space. He could make sense for the team in the fourth round of the draft if he’s available.

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