NFL Combine 2011: Why Cam Newton and Julio Jones Will Wow Washington Redskins

With so many holes to fill this offseason, the Washington Redskins will be completely enthralled in the 2011 NFL Combine that is set to take place February 24th in Indianapolis. 

In no particular order, the Redskins are in need of a quarterback, offensive line help, wide receivers, an outside linebacker, a nose tackle, cornerbacks and possibly a safety. Not to be taken as fools, we all realize that the team must prioritize, and their No. 10 selection in this April's draft may help with the process.

Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones are two players that will participate in this week's combine and be locked as targets on the Redskins' radar.

Newton possesses some of the most impressive physical tools that teams have ever seen, and Jones is arguably the top wideout in this year's draft (I know about AJ Green). While each player appears to make Redskins Nation uneasy, I'm confident that their Combine efforts will play a part in blowing away the Washington front office.

Cam Newton

Questions regarding Cam Newton and his jump to the NFL are obvious at this point. Many claim that his character is jaded, his collegiate success is thanks in large part to a scheme offense, and his quarterbacking ability has very little chance of transitioning to the pro level and sustaining itself.

As most of us know, Newton stands at 6'6" and weighs somewhere around the 250-pound mark, making him appear much more like a defensive lineman than a quarterback. His arm is underestimated in terms of accuracy and there's no denying the fact that he can launch the ball a country mile.

Perhaps even more impressive than his size and rumored 4.4-second 40-yard dash time, Newton announced that he will fully participate in the combine, and in interviews has propelled his stock already.

After watching a picture-perfect Heisman season, we were all aware of the harsh adversity that Newton faced throughout the year. Whether he was guilty or not remains to be seen, but being able to consistently play at such a high level all year under such stressful situations is impressive in itself.

With a gaping hole at the quarterback position and nothing to show for it, other than Sexy Rexy (Grossman), the Redskins will be interested to see what Newton has to say and show. I’d imagine his workouts will go fine, with a few mechanical flaws here and there, and Newton’s interviews will essentially sell (or not sell) his draft stock.

Because I’m so excited to see Newton at the next level and I have a liking for him that’s comparable to a school girl’s feeling of Beiber Fever- I have no choice but to believe that Newton will overly impress any scout in attendance this week.

My real concern regarding Newton is his learning curve. With a top-10 pick in the draft, the Redskins are looking for an immediate contributor. Don’t get me wrong; projects are fine based off potential, but Newton may not be ready in time for Week 1 and Grossman simply cannot start. If Donovan McNabb returns, Newton at No. 10 suddenly becomes a much better selection.

Some believe that Newton doesn’t fit Mike Shanahan’s system, and I beg to differ. Newton fits. His athletic ability is top-notch, and I see him with Roethlisberger-like potential. While No. 10 isn’t exactly an easy selection for any team, the upside of Cam Newton will be extremely hard for the Redskins to pass up if he’s available.

Julio Jones

Although Santana Moss is set to return to the Redskins and Anthony Armstrong had one hell of a rookie campaign, the current receiving corps in Washington isn’t necessarily anything to write home about. The unproductive Malcolm Kelly is set to come off injured-reserve and contribute next season, and even that doesn’t give Redskins Nation much confidence.

Shanahan may love making his receivers (see: Rod Smith), but Alabama’s Julio Jones will be one first-round talent that he won’t be able to stay away from. With tremendous size for the position (6'4", 220), Jones possesses all the talents necessary to become an elite receiver in the NFL.

Unfortunately, the NFL Combine will not be enough for Jones to show his true talents. Beyond his speed, strength and physicality, Jones’ off-the-sheet contributions are what really make him such an attractive prospect. Downfield blocking, catches in traffic, willingness to take on the big hit and overall toughness are just a few of Jones’ best traits that won’t particularly be on display this week. However, we should make no mistake that Shanahan and the gang already know about that stuff.

After racking up valuable collegiate experience at Alabama and taking in pro-style coaching from Nick Saban, Jones is well-groomed for the next level. Jones is most effective with the ball after the catch and his ability to shed defenders is amazing. Only two knocks against Jones’ game have raised questions so far, one being his problem with dropped passes and the other being top-end speed.

For starters, Jones is plenty fast enough. Although he may not beat out some of the league’s best in an all-out foot race, Jones has tremendous horizontal speed and plenty of vertical speed to separate from defensive backs. In my opinion, Jones’ speed is far from an issue.

Over the years, Jones has had his fair share of dropped passes. While many believed that it was constant thinking of what his next move would be before first catching the ball, many scouts seem to be lightening up on the concern and taking it with a grain of salt. Although he may drop a pass here and there, it’s Jones’ other skills and abilities that separate him from the rest and earn him consideration as a top-fifteen pick come April.

With Shanahan surely interested, I wouldn’t be surprised, nor disappointed, if the Redskins took a shot at Julio Jones with the No. 10 pick. That being said, I think Shanahan would opt to coach-up and develop a late-round receiving prospect than take one in the early part of the first round.