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Evaluating the Redskins draft picks: Why Keith Ismael can be a future starter at center

By Jacob Camenker

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 28: Offensive lineman Keith Ismael of San Diego State runs a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 28: Offensive lineman Keith Ismael of San Diego State runs a drill during the NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 28, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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FOXBORO, MA – NOVEMBER 08: A Washington Redskins helmet before the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on November 8, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
FOXBORO, MA – NOVEMBER 08: A Washington Redskins helmet before the game against the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium on November 8, 2015 in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /

The Washington Redskins improved their offensive line depth by drafting Keith Ismael. Here’s a scouting report on the center and how soon he may be able to crack the starting lineup.

Center wasn’t necessarily a position that many expected the Washington Redskins to target during the 2020 NFL Draft. But their decision to draft Keith Ismael in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft certainly makes some sense.

Chase Roullier has been entrenched as the Redskins starting center for about two and a half years now. The former sixth-round pick out of Wyoming has done a good job, but the team hasn’t had much behind him. They mostly relied on Jay Gruden-favorite Tony Bergstrom in that role and he wasn’t anything more than a mediocre backup.

Ismael should be much more than that. He has the tools needed to be a quality backup to kickstart his NFL career and it’s possible that in the not-so-distant future he will eventually challenge for the starting center job.

But how soon may that happen? And what will he need to improve on before getting a chance to take on that role? These are the questions that only an in-depth study of Ismael’s game can answer.

Here’s a look at what the Redskins are getting in Ismael, who was selected with the pick acquired in the Trent Williams trade.

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