Washington: The Other Players the Redskins Should Target in the 2012 NFL Draft

From now until April, Redskins fans can expect to hear a lot about guys like Robert Griffin III, Morris Claiborne, Justin Blackmon and other top prospects in the 2012 NFL Draft. 

And while I do plan on posting a lot of that stuff myself, I thought I'd shoot for a change and focus on the not-so-glamorous. The guys that aren't necessarily first-round talent. 

With so many needs throughout the Redskins roster, Mike Shanahan and the front office will have to be careful with their picks in the later rounds. First-round picks are risky and come with flash, but teams are built on the picks following the top-32. 

Safeties

Blake Gideon, FS, Texas

Seen as a potential free agent after not being selected in the Draft, Gideon could be worth a look. He does struggle in man coverage, but that's something Redskins fans have learned to deal with. Gideon is a leader on the defense and he's a good tackler in space.

Brandon Taylor, FS, LSU

Probably earning fair value somewhere in the range of third-fifth round, Taylor is an experienced safety on one of the nation's best defenses. He shows great pursuit to the ball and is very effective in run-support. Taylor is a compact build at 5'11, 202 pounds, but he appears to play larger. Taylor has shown improvement each season at LSU and is described as a team leader.

George Iloka, S, Boise State

The first thing you'll notice about Iloka is his size. For a safety, standing 6'3 and weighing just under 220 pounds can carry a nice intimidation factor. Iloka is a very instinctive player that uses his size to gain advantages in coverage and tackling. Displaying his versatility at the end of his senior season, Iloka started the last four games at the cornerback position. After playing in all 13 games as a true freshman, Iloka would become a full-time starter in just his sophomore season. He's a physical presence in the secondary and he's already gaining some interest at the Senior Bowl following some impressive interviews.

Cornerbacks

Casey Hayward, Vanderbilt

As I mentioned in my first Redskins Mock Draft, I'm a fan of Vandy's Casey Hayward. He's a ball-hawking corner with valuable experience as a cover-corner in the nation's best conference. Early interviews at the Senior Bowl revealed that Hayward was comfortable in either man- or zone-coverage, but may ultimately prefer zone. He also stated that he looks up to Charles Woodson because of his tracking ability and versatility.

DeQuan Menzie, Alabama

Although much of the attention went to Dre Kirkpatrick and Mark Barron when discussing the Alabama secondary, DeQuan Menzie was the man that saw the most action. Menzie was picked on the most because of teams avoiding Kirkpatrick's side, and he did a great job as one of the best corners in the country. At the next level, I think Menzie is best-suited as a nickel corner, but a very solid one. As a senior, Menzie demonstrated his ability to effectively cover inside and outside and he'd be a solid addition to an NFL secondary in the middle-to-late rounds.

Leonard Johnson, Iowa State

Leonard Johnson may be the best cornerback prospect you've never heard of. With names like Claiborne and Kirkpatrick stealing much of the limelight, Johnson has quietly earned respect as one of the best cover-corners in this draft. That being said, the Redskins probably won't get a shot at him past the second round. Johnson is versatile in any scheme, but has a strength at pressing the opposition and sounds like he prefers man-coverage. Oklahoma State star wideout Justin Blackmon described Johnson as "the most physical corner has has faced". I also expect Johnson to impress coaches in interviews with his team-first mentality.

Linebackers

Zach Brown, North Carolina

If you read any of my draft stuff, it's not hard to tell that I have a man-crush on North Carolina's Zach Brown. Although he's sometimes described as more of an athlete than a football player, I'm willing to label him as a guy with some of the most potential in this draft class. My latest mock draft has Zach Brown being selected in the first round and I don't see that changing. Therefore, the Redskins landing one of my top-rated prospects is highly unlikely, but I couldn't leave him off the list. He has tremendous athleticism, he's extremely fast and his instincts give him an advantage in pursuing the football.

James Michael-Johnson, Nevada

After playing both inside and outside at Nevada, versatility and athleticism has become one of JMJ's strongest attributes. From watching him on tape, JMJ looks to play better from sideline-to-sideline rather than vertically. Often times, JMJ will be held on blocks when attacking the inside, but his instincts and speed keep most players contained on the outside. Because he seems like a very coachable young man that's comfortable in coverage, I think JMJ would be a nice fit on the outside. However, the Redskins could benefit from lining him up on the inside and his inside presence is bound to improve.

Offensive Line

Zebrie Sanders, Florida State

After an impressive weigh-in at the Senior Bowl, I think it's only a matter of time before Sanders begins to see his name as a potential late first-rounder. However, if he's available in the second round, which I believe is fair value, then the Redskins could look to Sanders as a potential replacement for the often-injured Jammal Brown. Sanders has the size, footwork and potential to make a living on the left side, but I think he can be effective at either tackle spot.

Kevin Zeitler, Wisconsin

Another one of my man-crushes in this draft, Zeitler has big potential as a guard in the NFL. A part of the maulers that is the Wisconsin offensive line, Zeitler showed a strength in both run- and pass-blocking. Zeitler would need to work on a transition to a zone-blocking scheme, but I think the mobility is there and I like Zeitler controls blocks very well.

Matt McCants, UAB

(McCants is being added after watching a few of his Senior Bowl Practices)

I'm adding Matt McCants because I think he has huge potential in the NFL. For starters, he's huge (6'7 / 295) and he carries it very well. Second, he is reported to be a very coachable lineman that takes well to learning--always a plus. And finally, he has a bit of attitude to him on the field--the type of punch that coaches and fans like to see. Keep an eye out on this kid.

David Molk, Michigan

Being an undersized center to anchor the offensive line isn't easy, but I think David Molk may have been born to play in Shanahan's zone-blocking scheme. Due to his lack of size and versatility, I'm hoping that Molk will slip a little bit and give the Redskins a fair shot at taking a stab at him. Molk uses his compact frame (6'2 / 288) to gain effective leverage and he has the speed and mobility to stick and move.

Grant Garner, Oklahoma State

I suspect that not as many people will be high on Grant Garner because he comes from a wide-open spread offense that allows him to "cheat" a little bit at his position by keeping a mostly upright stance. In my opinion, Garner is athletic enough to be effective in the ZBS if coaching can teach him how to keep his pad level down and create leverage. I like Garner's potential, his pre-snap reads and his ability to extend to the second level.

Receivers

Dwight Jones, North Carolina

If you don't yet know the name, I suggest you hop on the Dwight Jones bandwagon. Weighing in at 6'4, 220 pounds, Dwight Jones is one of the best receiver prospects in this draft. Jones displays great strength and control at the wide receiver position and there's no question that he's ready for the NFL. Jones won't blow past decent corners on fly-routes, but his ability to gain position and bring in catches makes up for it. Although I don't think the Redskins have a shot at drafting this guy, Jones could definitely serve as that big-time wide receiver that Washington fans are always talking about.

Rueben Randle, LSU

Although I consider Randle to be a little raw at the wide receiver position, I think size (6'4) and potential could push him up most team's draft boards. He does a good job at getting down the field and making vertical plays. I like the fact that Randle can catch with his hands, and do so at the right times. To make it at the next level, Randle will need to develop his route-running and work on his separation. If the Redskins can make a run at this young man in the middle rounds, I think the pick is worth it.

Jeff Fuller, Texas A&M

After a rough senior season that was plagued by injuries and dropped balls, Fuller will try his best to impress coaches at the Senior Bowl and Combine. From a talent standpoint, Fuller possesses very good body control and his strength is definite advantage. Fuller is far from being a speedster, but I envision him as a strong possession receiver in the NFL. Unfortunately injuries may push Fuller farther down than he should be, but that could possibly give the Redskins an opportunity.

Quarterbacks

Brock Osweiler, Arizona State

Although Brock Osweiler is young and slightly resembles the build of one Derek Anderson, I believe this young man could be productive at the next level with solid coaching. And what better man to fill the role of “solid coaching” than self-appointed genius Mike Shanahan?

Not only is Osweiler’s size appealing, but so is his arm strength and surprising speed (predicted around 4.8 or so). I’m slightly concerned with Osweiler’s accuracy – as he completed just 63 percent of his passes last season as a junior – but the right system could do wonders for his skill-set. During his junior season, Osweiler missed 20 completions in only two games.

Before enrolling at Arizona State, Osweiler turned down a basketball scholarship to Gonzaga — needless to say, I like the man’s athleticism. I also like tracking his game stats throughout his first full season as a starter (2011) and noticing that he played some of his best games against ranked opponents like Missouri, USC, Oregon and Boise State (Las Vegas Bowl). In those four games, Osweiler threw for 1,262 yards on 108-of-157 (69 percent) passing, nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

Although a much bigger project than some of the other guys I have listed below him, I think Osweiler could be something special. Despite limited experience (14 starts), questionable decision-making, being extremely raw and in need of some serious time to progress, I still believe Osweiler is worth a gamble.

Russell Wilson, Wisconsin

Russell Wilson falls into that category of being one hell of a college quarterback but missing the NFL-cut based solely on size.

When it comes to arm strength, accuracy (a former baseball prospect) and coming through in the clutch, Wilson is a top-notch quarterback prospect. But when it comes to being tall enough to see over the offensive line, Wilson struggles. And in the NFL game, I can’t think of a quarterback under six-foot that has done anything substantial (Doug Flutie is the only one that comes to mind).

However, like Flutie, Wilson is a great undersized passer. Being such a threat to make plays with his feet and having a great feel for the pocket, Wilson has enough polish in other areas to perhaps make a run at something in the pros.

There are going to be a few teams that like Wilson’s maturity, leadership and quarterback skills — enough to ignore his size and take a shot at him in the middle rounds. I even read that Wilson talked with the Redskins coaching staff on the first night of practice at the Senior Bowl. A talk that went a little longer than normal.