8 Draft Picks to Fill Washington Redskins Needs After FA
Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan was never likely to fill every hole on the roster in one free-agent cycle. Not when he's retooling a team that's won just seven games in two years.
So after beefing up the the defensive front and adding pieces to a woeful secondary, McCloughan must turn to the 2015 NFL draft to answer the remaining needs. At the top of that list should be finding offensive line help, as well as a natural free safety.
Meanwhile, head coach Jay Gruden has made it clear another running back would be welcome. Of course, there's also room for an outside pass-rusher and a quality inside linebacker.
Fortunately, this year's draft class offers rich pickings at each of those positions. Here are eight prospects the Redskins should consider.
David Cobb, RB, Minnesota
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Gruden and McCloughan like a power-based running game and that usually means a bruiser between the tackles. That has to put Minnesota's David Cobb on Washington's radar.
The 5'11", 229-pounder is a classic inside sledgehammer who can wear down the middle of defenses. Cobb lacks the quickness and dynamism Washington's lead workhorse Alfred Morris possesses, but he'd make an effective supporting runner.
NFL.com Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein has described how Cobb's style is becoming relevant again:
"Cobb's YouTube highlights might bore you, but he's custom-made for physical running teams. He has one-cut traits and can play in a gap scheme. Adjusting his style to the speed of the NFL game might take some time, but Cobb's downhill, run-finishing style fits what running games are becoming again and he has a shot to be more than just a complementary back.
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Two bruisers in the backfield would accelerate the transition away from the stretch-style zone scheme Gruden wants to engineer. Cobb's arrival would also free Chris Thompson to focus on being a third-down pass-catcher.
With Cobb and Morris lugging the rock behind a line deploying new techniques, the Redskins would possess a true smashmouth, primeval ground attack that would punish every defense on the schedule.
Ameer Abdullah, RB, Nebraska
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If Gruden wants a complement for Morris' punishing style, rather than a supporting battering ram, he should give Ameer Abdullah a long look. The former Nebraska ace has the characteristics the Redskins' running back rotation is missing.
He runs in a slashing style and has the acceleration to break plays off tackle and make the type of quick cuts Washington's ground game has relied upon since 2010. He's also a very capable receiver out of the backfield, having averaged 12.23 yards per catch in 2014, according to CFBStats.com.
NFL.com analyst Bucky Brooks compared Abdullah to Baltimore Ravens star ball-carrier Justin Forsett. He's a runner the Redskins were linked with early in free agency, per NFL.com Media Insider Ian Rapoport.
Abdullah has the dual-threat skills and natural speed Washington needs now that Roy Helu Jr. has a home with the Oakland Raiders.
Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
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Eric Kendricks is the type of Gazelle-like athletic demon Washington's 3-4 needs at the heart of the linebacker corps. In fact, he would be a perfect partner for Keenan Robinson, another rangy hitting machine.
Kendricks' presence would free Robinson to play downhill and attack the line of scrimmage more often. The ex-Bruins star's speed, agility and instincts would give the Redskins plenty of flexibility at the second level.
Rotoworld writer Josh Norris (h/t CSN Bay Area) detailed Kendricks' best attribute:
"One of the best coverage linebackers I have seen. His Virginia game is my favorite of any prospect this year. Aggressive. Attacks ball carries rather than just waiting at the second level. Best at working around blocks with angles and quicks but not afraid to hold his own.
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Kendricks is a linebacker new defensive coordinator Joe Barry could match up in coverage. He could do the same with Robinson and Trent Murphy.
That would leave pressure specialist Ryan Kerrigan and the revamped D-line to create a four-man rush in front of a swarming, seven-man coverage shell. That's the type of defense Barry wants, according to new arrival Ricky Jean Francois, per an interview with ESPN 980 (h/t CSN Washington's Tarik El-Bashir).
Of course, Kendrick's skills and versatility could make him a hot commodity at the top end of the draft. He's projected to go late in the first round or early in the second, per his CBS Sports draft profile page.
The Redskins could justify picking him at either spot. The first would require a trade to gain an extra pick on opening day. But picking Kendricks late on would fit McCloughan's "best player available" strategy.
Yet Kendricks could be more likely to wait until Round 2 to hear his name called. The 6'0", 232-pounder doesn't have ideal size for the middle, particularly in a 3-4.
He's more of a natural Will linebacker. That's not generally a position teams use a first-round pick to acquire.
Washington certainly wouldn't be wasting a pick at the top of the second to select Kendricks as an instant replacement for the inconsistent Perry Riley Jr.
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Stephone Anthony, ILB, Clemson
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If McCloughan wants to reach further into the draft bag for help at inside linebacker, he might consider Stephone Anthony an ideal recruit. Unlike Kendricks, Anthony is more of a downhill thumper.
He excels the closer to the line of scrimmage he plays. U-T San Diego writer Eddie Brown emphasized the 6'3", 243-pounder's attacking instincts: "Anthony has the desired size and speed for the position. Skill-set leads me to believe he could be an effective blitzer in the pros."
There could be better blitz opportunities available to Washington's inside 'backers in a scheme that will favor more one-gap principles in 2015. One-gap versions of the 3-4 keep middle linebackers covered and let them stunt behind slanting linemen.
The Redskins may not blitz as often under Barry, but when they do, it's a good bet the inside linebackers will be primary weapons.
If there's a drawback to Anthony, it's a potential lack of range. B/R draft analyst Matt Miller believes he's likely to be limited to two-down duties in the pros. But depending on what the Redskins do with their sub-package defenses, that might not be a problem.
Anthony would give Washington's D a big body next to Robinson at the heart of the front seven. They'd be a pair of attack-minded playmakers ready to swarm on opposing running games.
Gerod Holliman, FS, Louisville
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After adding Jeron Johnson in free agency, McCloughan's next task has to be finding a true free safety. That's something not present on the roster right now, according to Keith McMillan of The Washington Post.
As ball-hawking center fielders go, the Redskins will struggle to find one more productive than Gerod Holliman. He snatched 14 interceptions during his final season at Louisville, per CFBStats.com.
If proficiency as a playmaker is a key attribute Washington will look for in defensive prospects, and it certainly should be, Holliman is too good to pass up.
That's not to say he isn't without his issues. National Football Post writer Greg Gabriel endorsed the player's "corner-like traits" in coverage, but also lamented his lack of physicality:
"Where Holliman needs to improve is in run support and tackling. While he weighs 218 pounds, he plays like a 190 pound guy. There is no physicality to his game, and at the safety position, being physical is an important trait to have.
Because of his coverage and ball skills, he will go fairly high, perhaps as high as the second round, but unless he can become more physical, he won’t be more than a nickel type player.
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Yet the discrepancy between Holliman's coverage ability and his struggles holding up to the game's more rugged aspects needn't be a problem in the right scheme. If the Redskins adopt plenty of Cover 1 looks, his flair for getting his hands on the ball can be a real asset.
Tweaking the coverage shells to single-high and three-deep looks can emphasize what Holliman does well and hide the weaker points of his game. Walter Football's Walter Cherepinsky has tabbed him as a second or third-rounder, certainly picks worth giving up for the most safety-needy team in football.
Jaquiski Tartt, S, Samford
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Jaquiski Tartt is an intriguing mix of size, quickness and versatility. At 6'1" and 221 pounds, he has strong-safety-type size, but he is also nimble enough to rotate and play free.
That level of flexibility is an obvious asset considering how most modern defenses like to flip their safeties to disguise coverage and keep quarterbacks guessing.
The issues with Tartt stem from believing he can make the jump to the pros after his time at Samford. That represents a major step up in competition.
Fortunately, there are those who believe Tartt plays above his level. Among them is NFL.com Media analyst Charles Davis, who said Tartt has "SEC Skills," per NFL.com College Football 24/7 writer Mike Huguenin.
A good attitude should also help Tartt make a a quick transition. National Football Post writer Greg Gabriel said Tartt is a "top character guy and the game is important to him."
Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson
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From a speed and agility standpoint, Vic Beasley might be the best edge-rusher in this draft class. That makes him a superb fit for a defense that logged a mere 36 sacks in 2014 and has a Brian Orakpo-shaped hole on one side.
Beasley has the quick-twitch acceleration and natural bend and lean all prolific rush linebackers need to thrive. One unnamed AFC defensive coordinator has already touted the former Clemson terror as perfect material for a linebacker-led scheme, per NFL.com Media draft analyst Lance Zierlein: "He's pretty much what you are looking for if you are a 3-4 team. I think he can play inside or outside because he moves so well. Out of the top-rated outside 'backers, he's the best in my opinion."
Of course, explosive skills aside, the Redskins would have to account for Beasley's lack of size. The 22-year-old bulked up to around 246 pounds for the predraft process, but he is still light for an edge defender at the pro level.
Keeping Beasley on the open side of formations away from extra blockers such as tight ends who could double up with a tackle would be a must. But if he's used right, Beasley would be a nightmare for opposing blocking schemes.
Laken Tomlinson, G, Duke
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This team needs more power and bulk along the interior. That need is most obvious at right guard, where former Duke man mountain Laken Tomlinson would be a dream fit.
The 6'3" 323-pound behemoth would replace mighty mite Chris Chester on the right side and give Washington's front five some real brute force in the middle. It would also let McCloughan dump Chester and his bloated, $4.8 million cap hit for 2015, per Spotrac.com.
McCloughan believes big guys win at the pro level, while Gruden has already indicated how he prefers the power concepts and gap plays up front. That requires a dominant, hat-on-hat road grader like Tomlinson, who is purely a power-based blocker.
CBS Sports analyst Dane Brugler, who tickets Tomlinson for the second round, has highlighted his physical and mental qualities:
"NFL body type with thick hips and massive upper body. Rolls his hips to generate pop and move bodies at the point of attack, using his lower body strength to drive block in the run game. Stout frame, not an easy player to put on his heels and rarely caught moving in reverse. Adequate set up quickness with aggressive hands off the snap. Uses his eyes well to pick up twists and extra rushers, clearly displaying a high football IQ.
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Those attributes make Tomlinson the beefy, cerebral force the Redskins need at right guard. He would help solidify a side of the line that still has major question marks on the edge.
Gruden wants more O-line help but has also talked up the chances of last year's third-rounders, Spencer Long and Morgan Moses, taking major steps forward, per Andrew Walker of the team's official site.
That's obviously possible, but neither Moses nor Long could crack the starting lineup as rookies, despite obvious weaknesses up front. Crossing fingers and hoping for major strides is an unnecessary risk at a position that's been an Achilles' heel for far too long.
The players on this list embody versatility, commitment to football and production as playmakers. It probably stands out that none, maybe bar Beasley, leap off the page as obvious candidates for Washington's fifth overall pick.
But a really smart draft from McCloughan would involve packaging that pick into extra choices and landing several of the players on this list. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport (h/t NFL.com College Football 24/7 reporter Bryan Fischer) has indicated the Redskins are "very open" to trading out of No. 5 as quarterback-needy teams circle Marcus Mariota.
How about a first-round double whammy that yields Beasley and Kendricks? That would complete the necessary overhaul of the defensive front seven that McCloughan has made the first step in his rebuilding process.
He would then be free to use extra picks in the later rounds to stock up where the offense is short, namely running back and along the line.
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