Washington Redskins History: A dozen facts about the NFL Draft

As you cheer, curse, and otherwise enjoy the Redskins’ selections in the 2020 NFL Draft, here are a dozen fascinating tidbits of Redskins draft history to pass the time between picks (You know, when Dallas is picking).

Over the last fifty years, the Washington Redskins have drafted more than 400 players from over 150 different schools.

Position groups break down fairly evenly, but the Redskins have selected more defensive backs than any other position: About 75.

During that same period, they have selected one player formally designated as a kick returner and one designated as a long snapper.

Since 1970, Washington has drafted 26 quarterbacks.

In that same time period, the Redskins have chosen two QBs in the same draft three different times.

Also since 1970, Washington has drafted seven kickers and four punters.

In 1988, they picked both a kicker and a punter.

Since 1970, Washington has selected more Penn State Nittany Lions than players from any other school. That is followed by the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Alabama Crimson Tide, Tennessee Volunteers, UCLA Bruins, Miami Hurricanes, and Colorado Buffaloes. They have chosen at least eight players from each of those programs.

During the same period, the Redskins have picked players from obscure programs such as Wisconsin-Stout, Cameron, Mesa State, Knoxville, Azusa Pacific, Mars Hill, Colorado School of Mines, Puget Sound, Bluefield State, and they are the only NFL franchise to have selected a player from Bowdoin and Alberta (Canada).

The Redskins have drafted four players from the Ivy League, including two from Princeton.

Since 1981, there have been four years in which the Redskins’ top two picks were from the same school.

I don’t know who was scouting the Midwest in 1974, but somehow, the Redskins managed to take four players from three different Colorado schools that year. This is one year after John Denver’s “Rocky Mountain High” was a top ten hit. Coincidence? Applying such deep analytics, I expect the Redskins to go in heavy this year on players from any college in close proximity to an old town road.

Just as long as he can protect Dwayne Haskins’ blind side.

Enjoy the draft!