5 Reach Picks the Washington Redskins Should Avoid in the 2013 Draft

Less than a month away from the NFL draft, there are still many questions surrounding this year’s crop of rookies.

In comparison to last year’s draft, the 2013 class may lack firepower, but features an array of solid prospects that can be selected through all seven rounds.

The Redskins will look to strike gold yet again this year and continue to build a winning foundation.

By contrast, there will be certain prospects that the Redskins organization should shy away from, they are listed below.

David Amerson, CB, N.C. State

David Amerson is clearly talented, but there’s no medium for the N.C. State product. He’s either going to be a great player in this league or be a complete dud.

With no cap space or first-round pick, the Redskins need to make a smart decision, meaning they need someone to draft in the early rounds that can immediately produce.

Given Amerson’s high risk/high reward analysis, they need to avoid gambling on him unless he’s available in the mid to late rounds.

Tyrann Mathieu, CB, LSU

I get it, Mathieu is going to be on everyone’s draft board; partially because it’s name recognition, whether it’s the “honey badger” or his off the field issues, Tyrann Mathieu is a household name.

The fact of the matter is that Mathieu hasn’t played a down of football in over a year. In addition to that, what position would he play?

He’s too small to be a safety and he’s not going to be playing on the outside as a cornerback. Playing in the slot appears to be his best destination, but he is physically limited.

Similar to Amerson, this is another high risk/high reward scenario. Then again, Mike Shanahan did draft Maurice Clarett.

T.J. McDonald, S, USC

As I was watching the Senior Bowl, McDonald’s flaws were evident. Scouts have claimed that he has a tendency to get lost in coverage and that’s exactly what I saw too.

McDonald is a physical safety, but can struggle against agile receivers, as McDonald is more of a straight-line defender.

After surviving a year with Madieu Williams, the last thing the Redskins need is another straight-line defensive back.

USC is not what it used to be. What was once a football factory and national contender, they have vastly underperformed recently, and that includes McDonald who has significantly lost momentum as a prospect.

Jordan Reed, TE, Florida

The former University of Florida product is being compared to another former Gator in Aaron Hernandez.

While Reed’s athleticism is tantalizing, he is undersized and struggles as a blocker.

If you can’t block in this offense, then you aren’t going to play. Why do you think Logan Paulsen and Darrel Young were just signed to contract extensions?

Even though someone of Reed’s caliber is useful in today’s NFL, it’s not conducive to Kyle Shanahan’s offense.

Dallas Thomas, OT, Tennessee

I watched Dallas Thomas against Jadaveon Clowney and thought he did an admirable job, which is a heck of a compliment considering Clowney is one of the best defensive prospects ever.

And the Redskins are definitely in the need for a long term answer at right tackle. On the other hand, they are completely stockpiled at that position.

So this isn’t an indictment on Thomas, it is more of an unfortunate logjam.

Three veterans are already on the roster (Tony Pashos, Jeremy Trueblood and Tyler Polumbus) and two former draft picks should be given a chance to compete (Maurice Hurt and Tom Compton).

It is apparent that the Redskins front office will choose to substantially address that position another year.