What Positions Should Washington Redskins Target in 2015 NFL Draft?

On the heels of a dispirited 24-0 defeat to the St. Louis Rams in Week 14, head coach Jay Gruden said all there is to say about the moribund franchise that is the Washington Redskins postgame, via Brian McNally of 106.7 The Fan:

"

Gruden: "If I have to motivate pro football players to play a pro football game then we need to get new pro football players..."

— Brian McNally (@bmcnally14) December 7, 2014"

With a full allotment of draft picks for the first time since 2011, in addition to having over $17.7 million of salary-cap space, according to overthecap.com, Washington will have the means to do just that this offseason.

The question is, though: Where should the team start?

Let’s find out. Here are the positions the Redskins should target in the 2015 NFL draft:

Quarterback

Richard Lipski/Associated Press

You've heard the saying, "if you have two starting quarterbacks, you don't have one." Well, in Washington's case, it's three quarterbacks.

There's plenty you could say about Kirk Cousins and Robert Griffin III to dismiss them as starting-caliber quarterbacks. But the biggest indictment of all is Colt McCoy having three starts under his belt.

Remember, this is a guy who was benched in Cleveland for Brandon Weeden! A player that renowned quarterback whisperer Jim Harbaugh viewed as a downgrade from Blaine Gabbert! What else is there to say?

In light of this, the Redskins need to find a quarterback in the 2015 draft, but not where you'd think.

While the team may have an opportunity to select a Marcus Mariota or Jameis Winston in the first round—if they declare—as was the case with Griffin, the team doesn't have the foundation in place to create a conducive environment for a young quarterback to succeed.

With an eye toward more of a developmental prospect that can learn from the sidelines, it would be in Washington's best interests to take a flier on a player like Sean Mannion or Garrett Grayson later in the draft.

Center

USA TODAY Sports

Saying that the Skins offensive line was bad this season would be an understatement. Not only is the team 31st in the NFL in sacks allowed, but it fell into the bottom half of the league in rushing offense as well.

With Trent Williams being a staple in the starting lineup and rookie Morgan Moses just a year removed from being selected in the third round, the interior of the offensive line should have the most turnover.

At guard, Shawn Lauvao and Chris Chester struggled mightily in 2014. But with rookie Spencer Long, also a 2014 third-round pick, waiting in the wings, in addition to the possibility that Mike Iupati is available in free agency, there should be contingency plans in place to upgrade this position without the aid of the draft. 

Which brings us to the center spot. Kory Lichtensteiger made the transition from guard to center in the offseason. While it wasn't without its share of hiccups, his play has been passable this season. 

Still, the fact remains that he is undersized and the team has no depth behind him. Factoring in this need with the lack of depth the 2015 draft has at this position, according to CBS Sports' draft projections, and the Redskins should look to snag a center within the draft's first four rounds.

Defensive Line

Washington's front seven, in particular its defensive line, has actually been one of the strengths of this team. Behind the likes of Jason Hatcher and Chris Baker, in addition to an emerging Jarvis Jenkins and Frank Kearse, the Skins have placed in the top half of the league in run defense.

Nonetheless, you can't overlook how loaded the 2015 draft is with defensive line prospects, particularly at the top. Glancing at the latest draft rankings of ESPN's Mel Kiper (subscription required), three of the top five and five of the top 15 prospects are defensive linemen. And wouldn't you know it, with their latest loss, the Redskins are assured of picking within that range, with an outside shot of cracking the top five.

With Jim Haslett's job far from safe, thus leaving the team's usage of the 3-4 defense up in the air, Washington taking the best player available with its first selection is looking more and more palatable. 

Safety

Wasn't this the biggest need last season? And the solution was......Ryan Clark? How that'd work out?

Clark and Brandon Meriweather may not be solely responsible for the 48 gains of 20-plus yards or the league-worst 8.2 yards an attempt that Washington's secondary surrendered this season. But their penchant for blowing coverages and missing tackles certainly played an integral role in this outcome.

Considering that the 2015 free-agent class is light on impact players at safety after Devin McCourty and Antrel Rolle, the Skins have little choice but to address this position early in the NFL draft.

One player worth targeting is Landon Collins. It's no accolade to be deemed a better safety prospect than Mark Barron, but an AFC scout did give NFL.com's Albert Breer a glowing review on the Alabama safety earlier this season:

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He's better than (Mark) Barron, he's better than Ha Ha (Clinton-Dix).

If you look at him, he plays special teams, he plays defense and he's all-out. He's just a football player. Good range, good hands, explosive tackler, always around the ball. ... Barron was a good player, but more of a thumper. Ha Ha was more rangy. This guy is a mixture of both.

"

In the event Washington goes another route with its first pick, though, the likes of Anthony Harris, Kurtis Drummond and Cody Prewitt are prospects that could be in play to fill this void later in the draft.