Redskins Draft Stock Watch: 6 Players Rising and Falling on Washington's Board

Rumblings about the state of play at quarterback have a previously unexpected prospect rising up the Washington Redskins' draft board. By contrast, the stock is down for a flexible edge-rusher who seems like a perfect fit for the team's hybrid 3-4 scheme.

There is mixed news from reports the Redskins are still looking at options to help fix issues at safety and along the offensive line. They are the two weakest positions on the roster and were barely reinforced during free agency.

Head coach Jay Gruden has been talking up internal solutions at key areas. But with new general manager Scot McCloughan on board, an evaluator who's built his reputation on draft days, this draft needs to be the foundation of Washington's rebuild.

Find out which members of the 2015 rookie class are rising and falling as the Redskins prepare for a hugely significant draft.

Rising: Marcus Mariota, QB, Oregon

Marcus Mariota looked strictly like trade bait for much of the last month. But buzz has been more than gradually building that Washington may see the Oregon dual-threat ace as too good to pass up.

First McCloughan made it clear he's prepared to draft a quarterback, per ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim:

"You never have enough [quarterbacks]. When I was in Green Bay we had Brett Favre, who won three MVPs. Every year we drafted a Matt Hasselbeck and Aaron Brooks. It wasn't that early, but we still took quarterbacks."

McCloughan's words didn't directly indicate a pursuit of Mariota, who's certainly going to come off the board early in the first round. But ESPN's John Clayton had already started the ball rolling on the Mariota-to-D.C. talk when he stated the "Redskins will take him" fifth overall, during a radio interview on ESPN's Freddie Coleman Show (h/t Dan Steinberg of The Washington Post).

B/R insider Jason Cole has since suggested the team's interest in Mariota is real.

Gruden greased the skids a little more when he endorsed the idea of being swayed by some of the top quarterbacks on the board, per CSN Washington's Tarik El-Bashir:

"

If we think it’s worth the risk to hit the reset button, if he’s that good of a football player, if we decide in the building that he’s that good of a football player that we think we should do that, then we should do that.

...

[Mariota] is a heck of an athlete, I’ll tell you that. And Jameis is a heck of passer. Two very good options to have if you are in need of a quarterback and you think you want to go that direction, then they are both worth going that direction for probably.

"

The idea of moving on from Robert Griffin III is deeply contentious. To some, Griffin is still the franchise quarterback Washington gave away a pair of first-round picks and a second-rounder for in 2012.

His supporters contend the last two deeply mediocre seasons are more about injuries, a weak O-line and poor scheme fits than any problems with the player. It's not a view entirely without merit.

There's little doubt Griffin's development has been stunted by the leg injuries that have eroded his mobility. They've forced him into the pocket ahead of time. That's the charitable view.

Griffin still boasts an absolute rocket of an arm, as well as a knack for playmaking when he plays quickly and instinctively. But he also hasn't learned to decipher coverage, progress through his reads and take what defenses give him.

Developing Griffin represents the same scale of work needed to get a rookie pro-ready. That's particularly true in Mariota's case.

While Gruden may enjoy nothing more than waving goodbye to Griffin, would a coach who favors a pocket-based game really welcome another read-option quarterback?

Perhaps he would, or perhaps the increased Mariota chatter is designed to coax a trade partner for the fifth overall pick. That's something the Redskins are definitely interested in, according to NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport (h/t College Football 24/7 writer Bryan Fischer).

Whatever the motivation behind it, the Mariota talk is boosting his stock on Washington's board ahead of draft day.

Falling: Randy Gregory, OLB, Nebraska

On the surface, Randy Gregory is ideal 3-4 rush linebacker material. He's got the closing speed, along with the flexibility and agility, to be a true terror off the edge.

But scratch beneath the surface and you'll find more reasons to avoid Gregory than draft him. The latest involves a failed drug test for marijuana at February's scouting combine.

It was at that time that B/R's draft analyst Matt Miller detailed mounting speculation about potential off-field issues certain to harm Gregory's stock. The failed test makes sense of that report.

CSN Washington writer Rich Tandler detailed how Gregory failed two drugs tests while he was at Nebraska. He also cited the academic problems that wasted a scholarship to Purdue, as well as the broken leg Gregory suffered in 2012.

That's a veritable laundry list of issues. Not many proposed top-10 players meet that projection with this heavy a backlog of red flags.

Gregory's talent can't be disputed. In that context, he's the best fit for the Brian Orakpo-shaped hole on the weak side of Washington's front seven.

But as the reports of problems keep flowing, rolling the dice on Gregory is looking like a major gamble, one maybe too big for a team that's never too far away from controversy.

Rising: Vic Beasley, OLB, Clemson

If Gregory is off the board, every other top pass-rusher in a draft class loaded at the position is bound to rise. One to definitely keep an eye on is Clemson's Vic Beasley.

B/R's Chris Simms dubbed him the "best pure pass-rusher" in this draft. He also noted how the lightweight, fleet-footed defensive end is scheme-versatile enough to make the grade standing up in a 3-4.

To some, the former description might serve as an indictment for Beasley going in the top five. But his supposed one-dimensional attributes could still be invaluable for a defense that logged a mere 36 sacks in 2014.

In fact, Beasley could form an interesting one-two punch with last year's second-round pick Trent Murphy. That's an idea floated by ESPN Redskins reporter John Keim:

"

Murphy's presence allows them to draft a player they feel could help immediately as a rusher but might take time to help vs. the run. Murphy showed as a rookie last season he could set the edge in the run game. But he can improve as a rusher. Even if he does, and they add someone, it would only make them more dangerous.

"

Murphy could handle work on base downs, while Beasley would begin his pro career as a regular force in the nickel package. Given how often teams adopt the nickel, along with how much Washington may lean on four-man fronts under new coordinator Joe Barry, a niche role could be perfect for Beasley.

It would maximize the strengths of his game and increase the ways Barry could get creative with sub-package defenses. Pass-rusher is one of the few positions in football where teams can justify bloating their numbers.

Putting Beasley on the field to support Ryan Kerrigan and Murphy would give the Redskins a trio of edge playmakers their multiple-front schemes will need.

Falling: Brandon Scherff, OT, Iowa

Charlie Neibergall/Associated Press

For reasons that will possibly boggle the minds of many fans, the Redskins appear content to stand pat with their current options along the offensive line. That's the same group guilty of surrendering 58 sacks last season.

The apparent contentment with incumbent blockers means a prospect like Brandon Scherff's stock is sure to drop on Washington's board. The Outland Trophy winner can play either tackle spot, but has been projected as a guard for the pros, most likely on the right side.

The right side is an area obviously in need of reinforcements. But Gruden still sees those reinforcements coming from the existing roster.

He's particularly focused on the potential progress of last year's third-rounders, tackle Morgan Moses and guard Spencer Long, per Mike Jones of The Washington Post. Gruden specifically identified the latter's potential to make strides in Year 2, while also talking up Moses' chances of winning a starting job: "We’re hoping Morgan and Spencer make a great transition into their second year and compete."

Moses' chances of winning a spot will rest on his recovery from the Lisfranc injury that ended his disappointing debut season. Fortunately, CSN Washington's Tarik El-Bashir recently provided a very positive update about the second-year pro's recovery: 

"

Bumped into #Redskins OT Morgan Moses (Lisfranc). Stopped wearing the boot 2 weeks ago. Has started jogging. Timetable still TBD, tho.

— Tarik El-Bashir (@TarikCSN) March 20, 2015"

Meanwhile, Long has a chance to make the grade if he can outperform veteran Chris Chester this offseason. Staggeringly, though, Real Redskins blogger Rich Tandler has stated there is still a belief Chester "can do the job."

That only serves to reinforce the idea Washington may resist chasing line help with an early pick. In another report for The Post, Jones reported McCloughan believes "this year's draft features great depth along the offensive line positions."

Scherff isn't going to be a depth player, so his stock on Washington's board understandably takes a hit.

Rising: Dante Fowler Jr., OLB, Florida

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Dante Fowler Jr. falling to No. 5 would be a dream alternative to a Murphy and Beasley double act. Fowler simply offers greater versatility and three-down potential.

Gruden made it a point to endorse the former quality during a recent positive assessment of this draft's first-round pressure specialists, per CSN Washington writer Rich Tandler:

"

You want a guy that can do a little bit of both. You want a guy that can hold up in the running game on first down and obviously transition from playing the run to getting a pass rush and some of the play actions but then have the ability on third down-and-8 to be a game-type changer. I feel like there's four or five guys in this draft that can be that.

"

Fowler can certainly handle dual responsibility. At 6'3" and 261 pounds, the former Florida Gators ace has more bulk than Beasley and Gregory.

Fowler also has ample experience playing at multiple spots and in a variety of alignments. His ability to rush from a standing position or line up with his hand down, on both the inside and outside, will be invaluable in 2015's new-look defense.

Barry's multiple-front scheme needs a roving rusher who can help the D flip-flop between 3-4 and 4-3 looks. Fowler is exactly that kind of "Joker-style" playmaker.

Expecting him to make it past the top three picks may be fanciful, but if he does, it's hard to believe there will be another player at the top of Washington's board.

Falling: Landon Collins, SS, Alabama

Chris Graythen/Getty Images

After Jeron Johnson made his way to town, the chances of drafting Landon Collins were reduced. Johnson's hard-hitting physicality, honed during four seasons in the Seattle Seahawks' rugged secondary and special teams, seem to make him a perfect fit for strong safety.

Mike Jones of The Washington Post dubbed Johnson the "favorite to start" at that key position. That would rule out the need for a thumper like Collins, even if the ex-Alabama star boasts dynamic playmaking skills.

Maybe the issue isn't so clear-cut. Gruden has also talked up Johnson's versatility, as well as the need for "interchangeable safeties," per CSN Washington's Tarik El-Bashir.

But interchangeable safeties is a bit of myth in the NFL. Every defensive coordinator talks about the concept and wants to field a flexible pair of hitters along the last line.

Yet the reality is safeties are still defined in set roles based on their core strengths. So it's more likely Johnson gets the nod at strong safety, with a cornerback on the roster making the switch to free.

That's something Gruden has identified as a real possibility, per Jones: "Some of the best safeties are converted corners. It could be a corner we draft that we convert to safety. It could be one we already have on our roster.”

The idea of Washington picking Collins in the top five always seemed like a bit of a stretch. Post-free agency it now seems highly unlikely.

The Redskins are doing a good job of playing their cards close to their chest ahead of the 2015 NFL draft. By talking up certain prospects, as well as hyping possible in-house solutions, Gruden and McCloughan are keeping all options open.

The Mariota talk keeps a trade scenario well and truly alive. Meanwhile, touting incumbent linemen and defensive backs moves the team away from drafting for need and keeps the focus firmly on McCloughan's "best player available" strategy.