2021 NFL Mock Draft: Bears trade into top 10, Washington Football Team goes offense
. Offensive Tackle. Washington Commanders. Christian Darrisaw. 19. player. 58
The Washington Football Team is likely to target two positions with their first-round pick. They are offensive tackle and linebacker.
Linebacker is a clear need on defense, and adding one of the top prospects at the position could do a lot to marry the team’s elite defensive line with their strong-looking secondary. That said, adding a top-tier offensive tackle to an offensive line that overachieved last year could prove to be an excellent move, especially in a strong tackle class.
With the 19th pick, Washington will be looking at guys like Darrisaw and Alijah Vera-Tucker at the tackle spot and linebackers like Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah and Jamin Davis. Maybe Micah Parsons too, if he’s on the board.
In this iteration of the mock, I have Darrisaw joining the WFT. He’s a great-looking prospect with smooth, athletic movement skills and a nice frame for the outside. He looked very good last year at Virginia Tech and has the tools needed to be a quality blocker at the next level.
The only issues with Darrisaw are related to finishing and effort. Sometimes, he doesn’t push through the man he’s blocking and ends up disengaging at the wrong time as a result. Is that a technique thing or an effort thing? Either is fixable, so John Matsko could certainly work with that and do his best to coax the high-end upside out of the uber-athletic Darrisaw.
Related Story. Where Christian Darrisaw ranks among top OTs WFT could draft. light
Darrisaw could spend a year behind Cornelius Lucas to develop or he could step in right away if he’s ready. Washington will have patience on their side no matter which tackle they select. That will give them a chance to unearth an early gem at the position given how many good tackles are worthy of potential top-50 picks.
If Darrisaw goes earlier than this — 14 to the Vikings is a strong possibility — then Washington’s top options would be Vera-Tucker, Davis, and Owusu-Koramoah. For today though, they’re lucky that they’ve landed a quality tackle to block the blindside for their quarterback of the future — whoever that may be.