Washington Football Team: Three options in the first round in 2021
No. 2 – Virginia Tech OT Christian Darrisaw
While Cornelius Lucas filled in fine at left tackle, the Washington Football Team needs a true mover of men and a stalwart at LT. Insert Virginia Tech’s Christian Darrisaw, a three-year starter who consistently improved year in and year out.
Coming into college, Darrisaw was a three-star recruit, while having some significant technique flaws and inconsistencies in his game.
During his freshman and sophomore year, Darrisaw allowed seven sacks, 15 combined hurries, and 29 pressures in total. In his initial two seasons in college, he was graded slightly above average at his position in terms of pass blocking, but he was an average run blocker as a sophomore.
While he wasn’t the premier left tackle prospect that he is today, his play on the field improved from his freshman to sophomore year, especially as a run blocker.
But in 2020, he finally put it all together and posted one of the best seasons at his position in all of college football.
Allowing only six pressures and six hurries, Darrisaw only committed one penalty through nearly 700 snaps at left tackle. He posted his best game of the year against Louisville, as he was given an overall grade of 93.3 against the Cardinals, according to PFF.
Furthermore, Darrisaw didn’t allow a single sack as a junior. He graded out as an elite left tackle in college football for the 2020 season, boasting a PFF grade of 90.8 as a pass blocker, and a 94.5 grade as a run blocker.
His 2020 tape is littered with strong, agile blocks in both the running and passing games while being effective at the point of attack. He’s a better run blocker than he is a pass blocker at this stage, but nonetheless, he’s still supremely talented and showed to be as consistent as they come throughout his junior season.
Darrisaw is one of the premier talents at his position that would immediately improve a competent offensive line to a Top 10 unit from the moment of his arrival. Darrisaw is a superb athlete, who has great footwork, with great size and length for the position.
His constant improvement, clean bill of health, supreme athleticism, and improving technique makes him a home-run at No. 19 overall. The Washington Football Team needs a player who can turn a solid unit into a great unit, and with the selection of Darrisaw, they’d certainly be heading in that direction.
This wouldn’t be the “flashy” pick, but it would be one that significantly improves the Washington Football Team’s offensive line, giving this team the closest thing to Trent Williams since his departure from the team last year.