2011 NFL Mock Draft: Washington Redskins' Draft Take
The Redskins had a very unimpressive season last year, and the future looks really bleak for the next few seasons in my opinion. They switched to a 3-4 defense, and that was a big time failure. They really don’t have the personnel to run the defense successfully; it’s going to take some time to get all of that personnel on the team.
Donovan McNabb was supposed to hold down the starting quarterback position for the next few seasons, but that doesn’t seem likely now. He was benched in favor of Rex Grossman, and it’s very likely that he won’t be back next year. This means the Redskins will likely target a franchise quarterback early in the draft.
Ryan Torain will most likely enter the season as the starter, as I don’t expect the Redskins to bring Clinton Portis back. Torain has some good ability, but he also has some injury concerns, so the Redskins need to find a compliment for him this offseason. Santana Moss is a true No. 1 receiver, but he is a free agent, and I’m not sure that he will be back next season. The rest of the receivers on the roster leave something to be desired, so the Redskins will need to find a new receiver regardless of whether or not Moss is back.
Chris Cooley is an above average tight end, and Fred Davis gives the Redskins a nice backup at that position. The offensive tackle positions are set, with Trent Williams and Jamaal Brown likely to hold those positions down for the next few seasons. Kory Lichtensteiger is solid at one guard, but the other guard position is far from settled. Casey Rabach is okay at center, but he is getting older and a long term replacement needs to be found.
The 3-4 defense didn’t work out so well in its first season, and the problems begin with the line. Adam Carriker had a very solid season last year, and was one of the few bright spots on the defense. Kedric Golston and Phillip Daniels aren’t ideal starters at the other spot, so the Redskins should look for an upgrade over them.
Albert Haynesworth didn’t want anything to do with playing the nose tackle position, despite how much money he was being paid. He is a locker room cancer, and the Redskins badly need to find him a new home, which means they also will need to find a new nose tackle.
Brian Orakpo is a Pro Bowl player at outside linebacker, and is one of the best young pass rushers in the league. The other outside spot was held down by Lorenzo Alexander, who is a solid player, but the Redskins need to find another impact pass rusher. London Fletcher made the Pro Bowl last season, and he is a great team leader. Rocky McIntosh is a solid player at the other inside linebacker spot, forming a solid tandem with Fletcher.
The secondary is a solid unit, beginning with DeAngelo Hall and Carlos Rogers at cornerback. They are solid starters, and Phillip Buchannon is a decent nickelback. LaRon Landry and O.J. Atogwe will form one of the better starting safety combos in all of the NFL.
2010 Draft Recap
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1. (4) OT Trent Williams, Oklahoma: Williams had a lot of tough tests in his first season, but I think that he performed pretty well. 14 GP/13 GS
4. (103) ILB Perry Riley, LSU: Riley didn’t get a lot of chances last season, but I think that he will get more of a chance next season. 8 GP/0 GS
6. (174) FB Dennis Morris, Louisiana Tech: He was traded to the Rams for a conditional draft pick early on in the season. 0 GP/0 GS
7. (219) WR Terrence Austin, UCLA: Austin didn’t get many opportunities, and he didn’t perform well with the few opportunities he did get. 5 GP/0 GS
7. (229) C Erik Cook, New Mexico: He didn’t get any playing time last season, but he was signed to the roster late in the season. 0 GP/0 GS
7. (231) OT Selvish Capers, West Virginia: He spent the entire season on the practice squad, but he will get an opportunity to compete for a backup spot next year. 0 GP/0 GS
Summary: This class was small, and with only one pick in the first three rounds, the quality of this class also suffered. None of the draft picks made much of an impact in this season, although Williams looks like a keeper. All in all, this looks like another failed draft class that will set the Redskins back a few years.
Grade: F
Team Need: Quarterback
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The Donovan McNabb experiment did not work out as planned last season. He will most likely be traded or possibly released this offseason. He failed to execute the offense, and he was actually benched late in the season for Rex Grossman. I highly doubt that the Redskins will want to enter next season with Grossman as the starter, so I find it highly likely that they will target a franchise quarterback in Round 1 of the draft.
It’s possible that the Redskins could give McNabb another chance next season if they are unable to trade him, but it’s in the best interests of their franchise to take the quarterback of the future.
Potential Quarterback Targets
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Round 1: Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert, Ryan Mallett, Jake Locker
Round 2: Andy Dalton, Christian Ponder, Colin Kaepernick
Round 3: Ricky Stanzi
I think that it is very likely that the Redskins will target a franchise quarterback in Round 1. If Gabbert and Newton are gone, the Redskins may reach for Mallett or Locker. But they can still find a new franchise quarterback in Round 2 with Dalton, Ponder or Kaepernick.
Team Need: Outside Linebacker
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To be successful in a 3-4 defense, you have to have as many quality pass rushers as possible. The Redskins have one excellent pass rusher in Brian Orakpo, but they don’t have any others. Andre Carter had a very good season rushing the passer in 2009, but he didn’t play well last year after the Redskins switched to a 3-4 defense.
Lorenzo Alexander is a solid player, but he isn’t the impact pass rusher that the Redskins need to help keep Orakpo from constant double teams.
Potential Outside Linebacker Targets
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Round 1: Von Miller, Robert Quinn
Round 2: Brooks Reed, Jabaal Sheard, Mason Foster, Dontay Moch
Round 3: Sam Acho, Jeremy Beal
Round 4: Cliff Matthews, K.J. Wright, Lawrence Wilson
The Redskins may have to use either a first or second-round pick if they want to upgrade this position because they don’t have many mid-round picks. If Miller is available in Round 1, he would be very intriguing. He’d offer them a premier pass rusher opposite Orakpo.
Team Need: Nose Tackle
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Another important piece of having a successful 3-4 defense is to have a big run stuffer at the nose tackle position. The Redskins tried Albert Haynesworth there, but he had no desire to play the position. He really is better suited for a 4-3 defense. So, the Redskins should be looking for an upgrade this offseason.
Without many mid-round picks, it’ll be difficult to find a legitimate nose tackle in this draft. The Redskins may have to try and look for a nose tackle in free agency unless they trade down in the first round.
Potential Nose Tackle Targets
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Round 2: Phil Taylor
Round 3: Kenrick Ellis, Jarvis Jenkins
Round 4: Jerrell Powe, Sione Fua
This draft class doesn’t have a lot of nose tackles who could come in and make a big impact in their rookie seasons. They will likely miss out on Taylor in Round 2, as he will most likely be gone before then. If they want to take a nose tackle in this draft, they may have to wait until the later rounds. But there may not be any quality nose tackle prospects still available.
Team Need: Wide Receiver
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The Redskins have a pretty solid receiver on the roster in Santana Moss, but he is currently a free agent. Whether or not he is back remains to be seen. Anthony Armstrong grabbed the other starting spot in 2010, but he is better suited to be a third option. The rest of the receivers on the team leave something to be desired, so multiple upgrades are needed this offseason.
The Redskins will need to find a top receiver for their new franchise quarterback to throw to. I expect them to consider one high in this year’s draft.
Potential Wide Receiver Targets
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Round 1: Julio Jones
Round 2: Torrey Smith, Jon Baldwin, Greg Little, Titus Young, Leonard Hankerson
Round 3: Dwayne Harris, Vincent Brown, Greg Salas, Jerrel Jernigan, Niles Paul
Round 4: Jeremy Kerley, Austin Pettis, Edmund Gates, Cecil Shorts
Round 5: Ryan Whalen, Ronald Johnson
The Redskins will really consider Jones if he is still available in Round 1, as he would give them a top wide receiver moving forward. If he isn’t there, the Redskins can still find a potential starter in Round 2, but they may have more pressing needs. This pick could be the top priority if they decide that they don’t want to bring Moss back.
Team Need: Offensive Guard
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Kory Lichtensteiger beat out long time starter Derrick Dockery last season, and he played decently well there. The Redskins cut Derrick Dockery, so the depth is a big problem moving forward—especially considering the fact that they don’t have a solid player starting at right guard. Artis Hicks didn’t play well at all, and the Redskins need to find a replacement.
This isn’t the biggest of needs for the Redskins, so their draft picks will probably be used on other positions. Yet they could look for a guard in the later rounds who may be able to compete for the starting spot.
Potential Offensive Guard Targets
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Round 2: Clint Boling, Rodney Hudson, Marcus Cannon
Round 3: Will Rackley, John Moffitt
Round 5: David Arkin, Zach Hurd
Round 6: Bryant Browning, Andrew Jackson
This probably won’t be a high need due to the fact that they have so many other needs. Still, players like Hurd or Jackson in Round 6 are solid prospects who could develop into solid players in the future.
Other Possible Needs
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Running Back: Clinton Portis won’t be back, leaving only Ryan Torain as the potential starter. He is a solid player, but they need to find a compliment for him.
Defensive End: Phillip Daniels and Kedric Golson will likely get the opportunity to start opposite Adam Carriker, but the Redskins could look for an upgrade.
Kicker/Punter: Both of these positions need upgrades. Graham Gano wasn’t very accurate and Sam Paulescu is nothing special punting the football.
Team Draft Strategy
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The Redskins enter yet another draft without a lot of high draft picks, which is starting to catch up to them. They have a severe lack of talent at multiple positions, and not having those mid round picks will severely hinder them in building up that talent. The Redskins will most likely target a franchise quarterback in Round 1 or Round 2 due to the failure of the McNabb experiment.
The defense also needs some help at certain key positions. They need to find another impact pass rusher to keep teams from constantly double teaming Brian Orakpo. They also need to find an impact nose tackle, because they can’t continue to keep Albert Haynesworth on the roster. I don’t have a lot of faith in the Redskins for next season, and it may be time to go into full blown rebuilding mode.
Previous 2011 NFL Team Draft Takes
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Atlanta Falcons
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