Washington Football Team 7-round mock draft: Rolling with Taylor Heinicke

Round 5, Pick 171 – Texas DL Ta’Quon Graham

For the time being, the Washington Football Team can still enjoy having one of the deepest interior line rotations in the league. But as has been expanded on in recent pieces, they might not have that stability for long. Jonathan Allen, Daron Payne, and Tim Settle are all up for new contracts relatively soon. Matt Ioannidis comes after them, and he’s also coming off a major injury, and might not retain all of his upper body strength.

The Washington Football Team’s defensive line has been one of the key drivers of their building success. They shouldn’t proceed without at least trying to retain as much talent as possible, but they also shouldn’t operate with the assumption that retaining everyone is possible. More likely than not, there will eventually be turnover, and Washington must try its best to lessen the blow.

The extra fifth-round pick acquired by the Jaguars allows the Washington Football Team to supplement their interior line in this mock draft. The pick is Texas defensive lineman Ta’Quon Graham. Graham is 6-foot-3, 290 pounds, but he has a massive wingspan that measures in over 85 inches. Graham’s wingspan is the foundational aspect of his profile; he can use it to wrench open pass rushing windows, while also establishing early leverage in run defense.

Beyond his frame, Graham also offers a red-hot motor, as well as some intriguing athleticism. At the Senior Bowl, Graham was a player who consistently flashed to me. He can do a better job striking with precision, but he clearly has some degree of natural explosiveness, and his motor only magnifies his quickness off the snap.

Graham will need refinement, but a lot of the necessary physical tools are there, and working between a one and three-technique in Washington’s 4-3 scheme, he could flourish, especially with other athletic specimens like Chase Young and Montez Sweat supplementing his play.