2012 NFL Draft Preview: Washington Redskins

The Washington Redskins have been searching for a franchise quarterback for 20 years.

Since Mike Shanahan took over the team two years ago, the team has already tried and failed with three quarterbacks: Donovan McNabb, Rex Grossman and John Beck.

After the season ended, Shanahan made it clear he was going to upgrade the quarterback position. In fact, any quarterback who was available was linked to the Redskins.

When the St. Louis Rams made it known the No. 2 overall pick would be available before free agency began, the Redskins made an aggressive move to acquire the pick. Clearly, the Redskins were enamored with Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III.

Giving up three first-round picks and a second-round pick for a player, a team has to truly believe in the player it will be getting. The Redskins are guaranteed Andrew Luck or Griffin, based on what Colts do with the first overall pick. It has been widely assumed the Colts are going to take Luck; therefore, the Redskins are enamored with Griffin.

When free agency began last month, the Redskins were aggressive in rebuilding the wide receiver position. The team wanted to surround its new quarterback, be it Luck or Griffin, with young explosive playmakers. It did so in adding Pierre Garcon and Josh Morgan.

This draft preview will address the team’s top three needs entering the draft, sans quarterback, as the Redskins are all set to take Griffin with the No. 2 overall pick.

Cornerback

After the first round, the Redskins do not have another pick until the third round. The starters are set at cornerback with DeAngelo Hall and Josh Wilson, but Kevin Barnes proved in 2011 that depth at corner is an issue.

While Hall and Wilson are solid starters, the team would like to improve the position. Hall is gambler who has improved his tackling but still deals with bouts of inconsistency. Wilson improved as the season wore on and he became comfortable with the scheme.

There should be several players of interest to the Redskins in the third round. Dwight Bentley of Louisiana-Lafayette is an intriguing possibility. Bentley had an excellent Senior Bowl week and is a good athlete who showed in college he can play zone or off-man coverage. Keep in mind, the Redskins’ coaches saw Bentley up close as they coached him in the Senior Bowl.

Josh Norman of Coastal Carolina is a possibility as well. He has excellent size and showed up well against better competition at the Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Game.

Offensive tackle

The Redskins are set on the left side with Trent Williams. Jammal Brown is the Redskins’ incumbent at right tackle. Brown, entering his third year with the Redskins, has been unable to fully recover from a hip injury he suffered when playing for the Saints. According to head coach Mike Shanahan, Brown has picked up yoga in order to improve his flexibility, but it is clear Brown is not the team’s long-term solution on the right side.

Mitchell Schwartz of California could be an ideal fit for the Redskins and their zone-blocking scheme. Schwartz gas good size and athletic ability having played left tackle in college. He projects more as a right tackle in the NFL. If he were available in Round 3, the Redskins would be wise to select him.

Safety

The safety position has been a problem for the Redskins the past few years. When LaRon Landry was on the field, he was dominant, but unfortunately for the Redskins he was rarely on the field the past two seasons. That is why the team let Landry walk.

O.J. Atogwe, signed as a free agent last offseason, was injured and ineffective in his only season in Washington. The team cut Atogwe figuring his lack of production wouldn’t be hard to replace.

The team signed Patriots and Bears’ castoff Brandon Meriweather to a low-risk, two-year deal in free agency. It is doubtful the team is expecting a lot from Meriweather, but the hope is he can hold down one of the safety spots in 2012.

The draft is not a deep one for safety prospect. Mark Barron of Alabama is the best safety, but he will go sometime in Round 1 and is not an option for the Redskins.

The Redskins would like to have a shot at Brandon Taylor of LSU, but recent reports suggest Taylor’s stock is rising and he will likely not be available by the time the Redskins pick in the third round.

Antonio Allen, George Iloka and Markelle Martin are all options for the Redskins with their two fourth-round picks. It is imperative they come out of this draft with a young safety or two to groom for the future. They like second-year safety DeJon Gomes, but he is still raw.