As the NFL draft rapidly approaches, fans of the Washington Redskins have a new found excitement. The team, mired in overspending and under-drafting since the start of the millennium, have a new talent evaluator in General Manager Scot McCloughan. His track record suggests that the team’s long suffering fans should finally feel good about the possibilities that lie ahead.
The draft picks that were dealt in the (quarterback) Robert Griffin III trade before the 2012 draft are now a thing of the past. The team will have their own first- and second-round draft picks and plenty of cap room to go out and get a quality free agent or two.
The teams’ needs are vast. McCloughan, head coach Jay Gruden and the Redskins’ brain trust have their work cut out for them in order to reshape Washington’s underachieving roster. The upside is that this year’s draft has talent in abundance… the Redskins could and should help themselves get a top flight player out of it.
Some fans will say that the team needs offensive line help to improve a porous unit that allowed Griffin — and backups Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy — to be sacked at a high volume. Pro Bowl left tackle Trent Williams and starting center Kory Lichtensteiger are the only incumbents who should feel safe with their jobs. An upgrade at guard is imperative although there is hope that the development of Morgan Moses, drafted in 2014, can solidify the right tackle position. If not, the team could be looking for another tackle come April.
Names to remember (should the Redskins draft an offensive lineman with their number five draft pick) are tackles Ereck Flowers (6’6”, 329 lbs.) from the University of Miami and Andrus Peat (6’6”, 313 lbs.) out of Stanford University. Brandon Scherff (6’5”, 319 lbs.) from the University of Iowa is another possibility. But he may not be an NFL left tackle and could be asked to play guard. The team could actually trade down and get him later in the first round.
Although the offensive line was weak in 2014, the secondary — which was riddled with inconsistency and aging players — was even weaker.
Cornerback DeAngelo Hall missed 13 games last year after he ruptured his Achilles in a Week 3 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. At 31 years of age, it will be interesting to see what Hall has left in the tank, if anything at all. Tracy Porter (who was a free agent signed last off-season and a projected slot corner opposite Hall) and David Amerson only played in three games, registering five tackles and one pass defended. Porter was severely limited in training camp because of off-season shoulder surgery and then battled hamstring and shoulder injuries during his shortened season. Safety Brandon Merriweather struggled to find the form the team needed from his previous season and could be on the move since he is a free agent. Fellow safety Ryan Clark retired this off-season after an up-and-down return to the team that that gave him his original start in the league.
Even with all of the aforementioned weaknesses, the most glaring deficiency last season was the distinct lack of a pass rush. Outside linebacker Ryan Kerrigan had a breakout year and should be penciled in for the Pro-Bowl for the next couple of years. But now that he is no longer a secret to anyone, he will see double teams and will be schemed by opponents accordingly.
With the recent releases of defensive tackle Barry Cofield and defensive end Stephen Bowen, perhaps the team feels the same way?
Fortunately for the Redskins, help could be staring them in the face on draft night. The two highest rated players on my board that would fulfill Washington’s requirements are the University of Southern California’s ‘All-Everything’ defensive lineman Leonard Williams and the University of Washington’s defensive tackle Danny Shelton.
With the fifth pick in the first round, one of these two players will almost assuredly be available when the Redskins’ announcement is made at the podium. These guys have what people around the league call “dog” in them. They don’t take plays off and they go after who ever has the ball. And they do it with bad intentions in mind. The Burgundy and Gold has had a few very good defensive players over the past seven years… but they have not had a real “dog” since the late great safety, Sean Taylor.
Everyone in D.C. knows the story… whoever had the ball near #21 was on alert and knew that their game could come to an abrupt end on that particular Sunday. Teams game-planned for him and opposing players were known to not except a play that ran them near Taylors’ part of the field. It’s called “intimidation.” And since the days of Taylor roaming the field, the defense in Washington has not scared opposing offenses in the least. Washington’s recent defenses have been a lot like the politicians who live here and cheer for them — dysfunctional and status quo driven.
At 6’5”, 302 lbs, Leonard Williams is a complete football player who absolutely wreaks havoc on offensive lines. He is my highest-graded talent in the entire draft, regardless of position. What he could do for the defensive line — while keeping double teams off of Kerrigan — would be just the recipe that the Redskins have not had in a long time. The USC product’s strengths are his supreme power and athleticism. Not too many men his size can do the things that Williams can do. He is also versatile. So much so that, at times during games, he could move to the three technique and allow more pass rushing linebackers to be on the field. A rotation of Williams and defensive linemen Jason Hatcher, Chris Baker and the newly signed Ricky Jean-Francois would be an upgrade from the previous unit.
Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that Williams will still be there at number five because his stock continues to rise. He has the look of a true number one pick or, at the minimum, no lower than a number three.
As much as I like Williams, another possible difference-maker is defensive tackle Danny Shelton. Shelton has been under the radar unless you cover the sport and/or live in the Pacific Northwest. The University of Washington alum is an absolute monster-of-a-run-stuffer with size and power. At 6’2” and 340+ lbs., he would give the team an anchor in the middle that would allow a lot of 3-4 defensive principles to be utilized. In college, most teams had to double-team him because no one person could handle his strength and agility… which is very seldom seen in a man of his size. Fans of the Baltimore Ravens have a player that Shelton reminds me of in Haloti Ngata. He is an elite talent that will not just stuff the run but also get after the opposing quarterback.
Last year Shelton posted impressive numbers in the Pac 12 where offenses run a lot of spreads and quick snaps. Another facet of his game that would serve Washington well is that he could be a three-down interior lineman. The guy is in superb shape and would be a nice upgrade to a defensive line looking for an identity.
Regardless of whether Williams or Shelton are chosen, either would revamp the Redskins’ defensive front for first-year defensive coordinator Joe Barry. By NFL standards, normally when a new coordinator comes to a team, new freshly-wrapped toys are given to them to play with. I don’t see any reason why the Redskins — barring a trade out of the position — will not walk away with a force on their defensive line whom Barry can groom… along with Kerrigan, cornerback Bashaud Breeland and middle linebacker Keenan Robinson. These young pieces would start to shape and build a nucleus.
All of this could serve the team well considering the NFC East does not have a dominant defensive unit in it. Between the Redskins, the New York Giants, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys, all four of these offenses are capable of putting up points. One of the teams might as well be a force on the other side of the ball. Why not Washington?
And with Scot McCloughan coming from teams like the San Francisco 49ers and the Seattle Seahawks, I cannot possibly think he doesn’t see this as well.
Come this April 30th, all I want to hear Roger Goodell say is:
“With the fifth pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, the Washington Redskins select Leonard Williams, defensive lineman from the University of Southern California,”
or
“…Danny Shelton defensive tackle from the University of Washington.”