9 Prospects the Redskins Should Target in 2015 NFL Draft
The Washington Redskins decided to get head coach Jay Gruden a little help, as well as boosting the overall football knowledge in the front office. By hiring former San Francisco scout and general manager Scot McCloughan, the Skins have shown their desire to get the most out of the upcoming offseason.
A major part of the offseason is the 2015 draft, which will be a key event in both Gruden's career and McCloughan's first year in Washington.
It is never too early to look ahead, especially when recent history has proven so difficult to watch. The Redskins have someone with a scouting background handling their draft, which is something they haven't had since Bobby Beathard and Charley Casserly were a part of the organization.
Here are a few of the draft prospects the Redskins should target in 2015's deep pool of talent.
Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa
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Many of Washington's problems on offense start up front with the offensive line. The issue of sacks allowed is still a divisive issue, but there is no denying the need to upgrade the right tackle position, at the very least.
Tyler Polumbus lost his job to Tom Compton who promptly showed why he hadn't earned the starting job to begin with.
Standing 6'5" and weighing 315 pounds, Brandon Scherff is a monster of a tackle coming out of Iowa and would fit nicely as a bookend on the right side for the Redskins.
Though he was a left tackle at Iowa, he lacks the length to play the position at the NFL level. He is quick and gets to the second level in impressive fashion but struggled against speed rushers coming off the edge.
If nothing else, Scherff is a powerhouse of a blocker capable of driving defenders out of a play or knocking them to the turf. He would bring the sort of nastiness the Redskins could use at right tackle.
He projects as a first-round pick, which may seem high for a right tackle. But the Redskins would be banking on a player who would turn a liability into a strength in his first year.
Gerod Holliman, S, Louisville
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Landon Collins may be the first safety taken in the draft, but Gerod Holliman might be the best safety overall. The Redskins have ailed through poor safety play for the last several years, punctuated by Ryan Clark's awful season that proves he should have retired after 2013.
Holliman is a hot prospect following a 14-interception season with Louisville, but it is the rest of his profile that has the emphasis on "might" in regards to his pro prospects.
His 14 interceptions jump out as Ed Reed-like, displaying excellent ball skills and playmaking ability. What should also jump out is his lack of production otherwise.
Holliman only has the 2014 season to his credit, and even that is marred by a shockingly low tackle total (37), which speaks to his poor tackling. If a safety can't tackle, he's not much use in run support or making plays down the field.
Though he may not be a lock as the best safety in the draft, Holliman could be the best playmaker and develop into a great safety. If the Redskins are willing to take that risk, he'd be a good pick in the first round.
La'el Collins, OT, LSU
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There is very little that has not been said about Washington's offensive line situation; everything ranging from how horrible the group is, save for left tackle Trent Williams, to how much better the line is than it got credit for.
There is, however, no questioning the need to upgrade a few positions, which is where LSU tackle La'el Collins comes into play.
Collins, a left tackle for the Tigers, isn't a lock to be a left tackle at the NFL level. He lacks polish and has the body type befitting a right tackle or a guard.
What makes him interesting for the Redskins is they can draft him as a guard, and he could develop into a tackle. He had good showings against Kentucky and Florida, who have dangerous pass rushers in Alvin Dupree and Dante Fowler, but he didn't set himself apart as an elite left tackle.
For the Redskins, he could start Day 1 at right guard and make a difference. Incumbent Chris Chester has been consistently blown up by interior rushers, and someone like Collins would beef up the interior offensive line.
Collins is a better run-blocker than a pass-blocker, but he made strides in 2014 in pass protection, which may raise his stock a bit moving towards the draft.
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Byron Jones, CB, Connecticut
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David Amerson regressed in his first season as a full-time starter for the Redskins. He was routinely beaten in coverage and a series of miscommunications and missed assignments played a huge role in Washington's defense allowing the most passing touchdowns and tied for the most yards per attempt at 8.2.
Long story short, Amerson needs to be bumped down the depth chart, especially with rookie Bashaud Breeland outshining him week in and week out.
Connecticut's Byron Jones has the size, speed and skills to be a starting corner in the NFL, but a shoulder injury ended his 2014 and could send his draft stock to the later rounds.
With that said, Jones would be a steal in the middle of the draft. He doesn't jump out as a freak athlete or ball hawk, but he is a solid cover corner with good instincts developed while playing at safety. He suffers from the same problem Breeland was noted for having, which was being too physical down the field, drawing pass interference penalties.
Breeland can and will clean those calls up, and Jones should not be considered a liability because of that trait.
Josh Harper, WR, Fresno State
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The Redskins don't really have the luxury of drafting the sexy positions on offense like quarterback and running back or even wide receiver. Still, it wouldn't hurt to bolster their receiving corps, maybe trim some fat and give a promising prospect the chance to shine.
A receiver like Fresno State's Josh Harper is precisely the kind of player who would help the Redskins offense.
With Andre Roberts proving a disappointing addition to the offense, Harper could take over as the third receiver with the potential to be so much more.
After posting a junior season line of 79 catches for 1,011 yards and 13 touchdowns, Harper managed to up his game with 90 catches for 1,097 yards and seven touchdowns in his senior season.
Though it may not be the jump in yards, and he did nearly halve his touchdowns, Harper showed Derek Carr wasn't the only reason he put up those numbers.
The Redskins could use a sure-handed receiver running underneath routes and picking up much-needed yards.
Nick Boyle, TE, Delaware
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Logan Paulsen was once the best blocking tight end the Redskins had and he could catch a couple passes if necessary. More recently, with Jordan Reed getting most of the catches at tight end, Paulsen hasn't been the blocker he once was and drew four false starts despite seeing limited action throughout the season.
With Paulsen waning in his production as a blocker and receiver, the Redskins need to bring in a new big body to block at tight end.
Delaware's Nick Boyle would be the perfect man for the job.
Boyle is a big man at 6'7" and 270 pounds, but he doesn't move or lumber like you expect from a player his size.
While he may not have the top-end athleticism or speed the NFL desires out of its tight ends these days, he would be an extra blocker for Washington and could become a red-zone threat with his body type.
The Redskins wouldn't have to spend a high-round pick on him, as Boyle projects as a fifth-round pick in the draft.
Ereck Flowers, OT, Miami
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Another tackle prospect, this one a little more under the radar, is Miami's Ereck Flowers.
Flowers had an excellent junior season for the Hurricanes despite dealing with a torn meniscus that kept him out of their game against North Carolina.
At 6'6" 325 pounds, Flowers can be an intimidating blocker on the right side if developed properly. For the Redskins, Flowers isn't so much a project as much as an investment.
He isn't the bookend they need right now, but he could start immediately and progress into a reliable right tackle, which has been a need since Jon Jansen's departure in 2008.
Once again, Flowers is a prospect with some problems in pass protection, particularly against speed rushers. But he can be coached to use his size and arm length to get his hands on defenders before they can blow by him.
Washington could use a mauling run blocker to pave the way for Alfred Morris as well, and Flowers is precisely that type of tackle.
Leonard Williams, DT/DE, USC
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Washington's defense was horrible in 2014 and has been horrible almost every year under now-fired defensive coordinator Jim Haslett. Some of that has to do with Haslett's coaching, but some of that has to do with the personnel on the field.
Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen appeared in just eight games in 2014, while Chris Baker and Jarvis Jenkins failed to have any substantial impact up front.
If the Redskins want a disruptive force up front, they need look no further than USC's Leonard Williams.
A lot of the troubles ailing Baker and Jenkins boiled down to their inability to escape blocks. They would get sucked in and never break free to make plays on the ball or provide the type of push up front necessary for the linebackers to read and fill holes.
Williams is an explosive defensive end who gets off of blocks and can beat guards and tackles at the point of attack.
During his junior season, Williams tallied six sacks to go along with 8.5 tackles for loss, an interception and three forced fumbles. He could change the Redskins defensive front the way J.J. Watt has done for the Texans.
He can play the run, get to the quarterback and do it from multiple positions along the line. With Williams causing problems for defenses, imagine the impact it would have for Ryan Kerrigan's production from the outside linebacker position.
Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford
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This year's under-the-radar prospect may be Jaquiski Tartt, safety for the Samford Bulldogs. He has excellent size, instincts and versatility, all of which earned him a Senior Bowl invitation.
The problem with Tartt? He plays for Samford, which means the competition he faced was less than elite compared to other, more highly touted prospects like Landon Collins and Gerod Holliman.
What Tartt lacks in tape against elite competition he makes up for by standing out on the field. He is a big-hitter but doesn't sacrifice the sure tackle to lay the wood. There is something about his play that is reminiscent of Sean Taylor, though Tartt doesn't have the same imposing size or undeniable ability.
He may not be a household name, but Tartt could be a steal in the later rounds and could help fill a need at either safety position if the Redskins choose to draft him.
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