Washington Redskins 2020 NFL Draft all-rookie team

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NEW ORLEANS, LA – JANUARY 13: Linebacker Isaiah Simmons #11 of the Clemson Tigers during the College Football Playoff National Championship game against the LSU Tigers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome on January 13, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. LSU defeated Clemson 42 to 25. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /

LB – Isaiah Simmons, Patrick Queen, Kenneth Murray, Akeem Davis-Gaither

One of the toughest parts of this article was deciding where to list Isaiah Simmons — at linebacker or at safety? At either position, he’d be the top prospect, so it doesn’t really matter. I settled on linebacker, because there are more top-level options at safety to include on the all-rookie team.

Simmons’ athletic profile is near-transcendent, and while Chase Young still holds the advantage in my eyes at No. 1, Simmons would not be a selection to scoff at. His combination of size, speed, and explosiveness is extremely rare, and someone is going to benefit from it, if they can use it the right way.

Behind Simmons, there are more traditional linebackers to look over. I’m a big fan of Kenneth Murray, as he’s an elite athlete as well, with 4.52 speed and a 38-inch vertical at 6-foot-2, 241. But Patrick Queen just edged out Murray for the LB2 spot, as Queen is a similarly solid athlete, and is much more refined mentally.

I’m also a big fan of Akeem Davis-Gaither, who came in as the LB4 on the all-rookie team. He’s a bit undersized, but he’s pretty smooth and instinctive in coverage, and he moves all around the field in pursuit, never one to fade out of a play. In Round 3, he’d be a solid coverage linebacker for the Redskins to add.

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