Redskins select OL Keith Ismael with pick acquired from San Francisco

With the No. 156 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins have selected San Diego State interior offensive lineman Keith Ismael.

The Washington Redskins unexpectedly added a second fifth-round pick after trading seven-time Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams to the San Francisco 49ers for the No. 156 pick and a third-round selection in the 2021 NFL Draft.

With that fifth-round pick, the Redskins chose to add to the interior of their offensive line, selecting San Diego State center Keith Ismael.

Ismael, who turns 22 years old in July, was a key contributor on the Aztecs’ offensive line for three seasons. In his junior season, he logged starts at left guard, right guard, and center, and in 2019, he started all 13 games at the center position, providing stability and consistency at the anchor.

At 6-foot-3, 309, Ismael is a bit undersized as an interior lineman, and he needs to add more strength to his game. But he has good mobility for an interior lineman, and he’s also a fairly quick processor on the interior, and his ability to both move well in space and take accurate angles should help him overcome power deficiencies at the next level.

The Redskins invested a bit into interior depth in free agency when they signed Wes Schweitzer, but clearly, Ron Rivera and company felt that the group could still stand to benefit from more security. Ismael joins a center group that already employs Chase Roullier and 2019 fifth-round pick Ross Pierschbacher. Roullier, however, is scheduled to be a free agent after the 2020 season, and Pierschbacher is little more than depth at this point. Ismael could factor into the future starting equation, depending on how the pieces move in 2020 and beyond. It’s not a pick that fills an immediate need, but it’s a safe acquisition with some future potential.

The Redskins still have three selections remaining in the 2020 NFL Draft; one more in the fifth round, and two in the seventh round. Stay tuned with us here at Riggo’s Rag for the pick breakdowns as they come in!