5 Late-Round Prospects Washington Redskins Should Target in 2015 NFL Draft

The names you hear announced at the start of the draft may be the ones you remember, but the lifeblood of NFL franchises is found in the late rounds of the NFL draft.

Taking a glimpse into the Washington Redskins' recent draft history, this all but explains why the team has one playoff berth in the past seven seasons.

It's too early to judge the 2013 and 2014 draft classes, but of the 26 players Washington has selected after the fourth round dating back to 2008, only three are still on the roster—Alfred Morris, Tom Compton and Niles Paul.

This is where new general manager Scot McCloughan comes in though. Formerly the architect of the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, he's displayed a niche in the past for finding late-round gems.

Looking ahead to the upcoming 2015 NFL draft, here are five late-round prospects the Redskins and McCloughan may have a keen interest.

All draft projections are courtesy of CBSSports.com.

S Anthony Harris

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Projection: sixth round

It remains to be seen how much of an upgrade Jeron Johnson and Dashon Goldson will be over last year's starting safeties, Ryan Clark and Brandon Meriweather.

Both Johnson and Goldson have ties to McCloughan. Nobody else on Washington's depth chart can say this, and that means something.

While you can count on McCloughan and defensive coordinator Joe Barry to do their due diligence in evaluating the team's current crop of safeties, finding a safety to groom late in the draft is likely on their wish list.

You know, a prospect like Anthony Harris.

An All-ACC performer at Virginia, Harris' draft stock has taken hit because of injury. At Virginia's pro day, he was limited because of offseason shoulder surgery.

Still, he brings the type of balance Washington has long lacked at the safety position.

On the nation's 20th-ranked rushing defense in 2014, Harris was the team's second-leading tackler on rushing plays with 66 tackles, according to the team's official website.

A notable ball hawk, Harris finished his career with 11 interceptions. In 2013, he matched former NFL standout Ronde Barber's mark for interceptions in a season with eight—second all-time in school history.

With the money Goldson is due to make in 2016, $7.5 million according to John Keim of ESPN.com, drafting Harris to be his heir apparent would make a lot of sense on Washington's part.

S Jordan Richards

Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Projection: fifth round

In the event Harris' medicals scares off the Redskins, the team should look into selecting Stanford safety Jordan Richards.

Richards landed on the All-Pac-12 first team in 2014. Taking the leadership role in the secondary from the departed Ed Reynolds, he tallied three interceptions, three forced fumbles and 79 tackles his senior season.

He won't blow you away with his measurables—he ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day—but his play speaks for itself.

A participant in the East-West Shrine Game, Richards was one of 10 prospects who impressed NFL.com's resident draft aficionado Mike Mayock.

Looking at his draft profile on ESPN.com, Richards is also lauded for his instincts and play recognition:

"Maintains quality spatial relationship when tasked with deep-half or center-field responsibilities. Keys quarterback eyes and flashes ability to anticipate throws."

Knowing that blown assignments were frequent occurrences in Washington's secondary because of deficiencies in this department, there's a place for Richards on the back end of the team's defense.

DT David Parry

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Projection: seventh round

Looking at the short-term, what's there to hate about Washington's new defensive front?

The team bid adieu to Barry Cofield and Stephen Bowen and brought Stephen Paea, Terrance Knighton and Ricky Jean-Francois into the fold.

Paired with Jason Hatcher, Frank Kearse and Chris Baker, these additions figure to make the team's defensive line a strength. But for how long?

Knighton may be the headliner, but he's only on a one-year deal. Additionally, Hatcher will be 33 at the start of the 2015 campaign. With that said, McCloughan's work bolstering the defensive line is still incomplete.

Needing to inject some more youth up front, Washington should target David Parry in the draft.

The anchor of Stanford's 3-4 front, Parry consistently commanded a double-team,  freeing his linebackers to make plays. One of the risers in the East-West Shrine Game, Parry drew praise from DraftInsiders.net's Tony Pauline (h/t PhiladelphiaEagles.com):

"

Parry, listed as 6-2, 305, is not a lineman who will pass the eyeball test as he's smaller than one would expect. Fact is he played big today and was unstoppable despite his lack of classic measurables. Built low to the ground, he gets leverage on opponents and then showcased a variety of hand moves to get around blocks. He beat almost every opponent he faced in one-on-one drills and left a positive impression on teams.

"

Pauline stopped short of calling Parry a star, but in comparing him to Kelly Gregg, it's evident he expects him to have a long and successful NFL career:

"

I told David Parry/DL/Stanford he reminds me of Kelly Gregg; undersized & underrated but a terrific player who had a long NFL career

— Tony Pauline (@TonyPauline) January 14, 2015"

 

Conditioning is a problem for Parry. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com noted that he only played 49 percent of the snaps in 2014. Factor in the current depth the team has along the defensive line, though, it's a moot point at the moment.

All told, look for Parry carve out a role as a rotational player as a rookie.

C Max Garcia

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Draft Projection: sixth round

A unit that surrendered 58 sacks last season, the Redskins' offensive line stands out as one of the weakest links on the team.

Up front, the team has Trent Williams, Kory Lichtensteiger and a cast of below-average linemen. At least that was the case in 2014. So, despite returning its core from last year (minus Tyler Polumbus), Washington should be in the market for offensive linemen in the draft.

Speaking on the team's needs, via Andrew Walker of Redskins.com, head coach Jay Gruden expressed his desire to add some new pieces up front. 

Capable of playing every position along the line, Garcia might be a fine pick for Gruden.

At both Maryland and Florida, he saw time at left tackle. But after splitting his time at guard and tackle in 2013 while at Florida, he made the transition to center his senior season. Although it was a new position, Garcia still managed to earn second-team All-SEC honors.

An undervalued prospect in the eyes of NFL.com's Charles Davis, Garcia was named to Davis' All-Underrated team, a group of prospects he projects to have long and fruitful NFL careers.

Garcia doesn't project to be a starter out the gate, but at the very least, Garcia gives Washington the insurance policy it needs behind Lichtensteiger.

RB Karlos Williams

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Draft Projection: fifth round

The Redskins struck gold when they snagged Morris in the sixth round of the NFL draft. Now that he's entering the final year of his rookie deal, though, the team has to identify potential replacements.

Enter Karlos Williams.

Listed at 6'1" and 235 pounds with 4.48 speed, it's not a question of physical ability with Williams, but game reps.

Prior to the 2013 season, Williams was a safety at Florida State. In two brief seasons after converting to a running back, he finished ninth on the school's all-time list for rushing touchdowns with 22, per the school's official website.

Despite bursting on the scene his junior season with 730 yards on 8.0 yards per carry, Williams was a mild disappointment his senior year. Eventually supplanted by Dalvin Cook in the starting lineup, Williams only finished with 649 yards on 4.6 yards per rush. 

In the words of CBSSports' Dane Brugler and Derek Stephens, Williams' indecisiveness at the line of scrimmage and poor footwork was the root of his woes in 2014.

Nonetheless, with his combination of size and speed, Williams sports enough potential for the Skins to overlook these flaws and take a flyer on him late in the draft.