Washington Redskins: Analyzing Latest NFL Draft Rumors and Reports

Edge-rushers, edge-rushers and more edge-rushers. The men who make their living crashing off corners to deck quarterbacks still dominate rumors regarding the Washington Redskins' plans for the 2015 NFL draft.

One outside pressure specialist will have his tires kicked by the Redskins, while a touted prospect and a possible late-round sleeper have already popped in for a visit. So has one of the top wide receivers in this class, according to other reports.

But those aren't the only potential developments for an offense still lacking a natural third-down back. That role could be entrusted to a member of the current roster. If so, a portion of Washington's draft strategy could be altered.

Find out what the latest draft-related rumors and reports mean for the Redskins as the big day approaches.

Scot McCloughan's Need for Speed Could Make Pass-Rusher the 1st-Round Priority

Nick Wass/Associated Press

Scot McCloughan's ode to Top Gun's Maverick could make Washington's selection of an outside pass-rusher in the first round a certainty. Specifically, the new general manager has traditionally preferred speed as a key attribute in his opening-round selections.

That's according to ESPN's John Keim, who detailed McCloughan's history of picking fleet-footed prospects:

"

The best choices he made in San Francisco were players with good to excellent speed for their positions, such as running back Frank Gore (4.58 seconds in the 40, but this was after his knee injury), tight end Vernon Davis (4.38), tackle Joe Staley (4.78) and linebacker Patrick Willis (4.51). Even Alex Smith (4.71) had solid speed for a quarterback (it was the same time as Aaron Rodgers). McCloughan also selected defensive end Manny Lawson (4.43) in the first round. While in Seattle, where he was a key part of the drafts from 2011-13, they drafted end Bruce Irvin (4.5). Another first-round pick in San Francisco, receiver Michael Crabtree, was not a burner.

"

Keim suggested this history only strengthens the probability that the Redskins will select an edge-rusher on draft day. He narrowed the prime choice between Clemson's Vic Beasley and Florida standout Dante Fowler Jr.

Both would address Washington's need for greater quickness and playmaking skill at the edges of its defense. That's been a familiar theme in the mock draft landscape.

NFL.com draft analysts Lance Zierlein and Chad Reuter have the Redskins taking Fowler fifth overall, while CBS Sports' Dane Brugler and Pete Prisco both think it will be Beasley.

The need for another outside linebacker is obvious when both numbers and production are lacking. Brian Orakpo's exit in free agency has impacted the former.

Only Ryan Kerrigan, 2014 second-rounder Trent Murphy and undrafted Jackson Jeffcoat remain in town. Gabe Miller, Ricky Sapp and James Gayle are on the fringes, but none of them should be counted on to make an impact.

So Kerrigan is really the only starter new defensive coordinator Joe Barry can count on. His 13.5 sacks last season prove that.

The problem is that the rest of the defense added a mere 22.5 sacks to Kerrigan's total. That's a level of production that must improve in 2015 and represents the strongest case for adding one of the many top-notch pass-rushers from this class.

Redskins Showing Interest in Vic Beasley and Tavaris Barnes

Those predicting Beasley will go to Washington this draft day will feel validated by the player's recent visit to Redskins Park. Walter Football's Charlie Campbell reported on April 20 that Beasley met with the team.

He rightly sees Beasley as a natural conversion project, one set to make the transition from traditional defensive end to 3-4 outside linebacker. Beasley's 6'3", 246-pound frame and speed off the snap should make him a quick study.

But perhaps the real question is how quickly will he make the grade as a starting outside linebacker in the NFL? You'd be hard pressed to find a pundit or writer who won't point to Beasley's lack of elite size as a major concern.

CBS Sports' analysts Rob Rang and Derek Stephens detailed why the ex-Clemson man could play a limited role as a weapon strictly for use against the pass:

"

Despite his natural ability as a pass rusher, Beasley does struggle against the run as he seems to lose track of the play at times and will take bad angles or even appear unmotivated when the play flows to the opposite side of the line, and when he takes on blockers too high, he's easily swept out of the play. He offers little in terms of ability to anchor or set the edge with power against the run, as he simply lacks the girth to hold position against tackles and even tight ends at times.

"

It's not unreasonable to envisage a scenario involving Beasley seeing the field in obvious passing situations. Meanwhile, Trent Murphy, the bulkier option who's already shown some talent for setting the edge, would be the preferred choice on the base front.

In that scenario, Beasley would function like Seattle Seahawks' edge-rusher Bruce Irvin. He's the player Beasley most closely resembles, according to Bleacher Report NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller.

Even though he was a first-round pick by the Seahawks in 2012, Irvin has been a situational operator in Seattle. He's played rush end in sub-packages and occasionally strong-side linebacker on base downs.

There is the rub. Can McCloughan really justify using the fifth overall pick in the draft on a situational player? That will ultimately depend on your view of the increasingly hybrid and multiple-front nature of today's defensive schemes.

Perhaps more importantly, it will depend on your belief in Beasley's potential to become more than just a moonlighter with a talent for chasing quarterbacks.

If a situational sack master is all the Redskins want, McCloughan may be wiser taking a flier on a late-rounder. That would explain having a player like Tavaris Barnes in for a visit.

Campbell indicated Barnes, a teammate of Beasley's at Clemson, is viewed by many as a possible "sleeper pick."

He also noted that the Redskins are far from the only team keen on the 6'4", 282-pounder: "Many teams have worked him out privately and shown heavy interest. That list includes San Francisco, Tampa Bay, New England, Arizona, Houston, Seattle, New Orleans, Tennessee and now the Redskins."

Adding a potential gem or two from the draft's late stages would be a wise move for Washington, particularly if said gems boast more of a flair for rushing the passer than Murphy.

Washington Taking a Closer Look at Bud Dupree

David Stephenson/Associated Press

McCloughan and Washington may have found a middle ground between Beasley and a calculated risk in the late rounds. Bud Dupree is the outside pass-rusher of choice standing on that middle ground.

The Redskins are set to meet with the former Kentucky defensive end, according to Aaron Wilson of The Baltimore Sun. The fact that the NFC East club has sent its defensive staff to run the rule over Dupree is proof of the extent of its interest.

Any interest is understandable in a player who notched 7.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for a loss and one interception in 2014, per CFBStats.com. But Dupree's stats aren't his only positive quality.

He's also an ideal fit for a multiple-front defense, thanks to a set of hybrid skills perfectly suited to hopping between the lines of 4-3 and 3-4 schemes.

At 6'4" and 269 pounds, Dupree is big enough to line up with his hand in the dirt or wreck offenses as a standing rusher. It's this natural flexibility that makes Dupree so intriguing.

A one-time basketball ace, Dupree is an ultra-athletic lump of clay ready to be molded into a dominating defensive weapon. Yet that process is likely to rely heavily on the coordinator Dupree works with at the pro level, according to NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein.

All those Redskins fans less than impressed, or just flat out concerned, by the team's decision to hire Joe Barry over more experienced names, may feel Washington won't be the best learning institution for Dupree.

What's especially noteworthy about Washington's interest in Dupree is the obvious link to trade scenarios. Specifically, picking Dupree would almost certainly mean trading back from the top five in the opening round.

Pursuing a deal like that makes sense for a team with as many holes as Washington. Stockpiling extra picks while answering the need for a dynamic, outside pass-rusher would represent a major win for McCloughan.

Running Back Depth Might Already Be Solved

Al Bello/Getty Images

About the only thing missing from the skill positions in D.C. is a true third-down back. The Redskins need a runner versatile enough to offer change-of-pace speed as a ball-carrier and create mismatches as a receiver.

This year seems like the ideal moment to find one, considering the depth of talent at running back in this draft. So it's surprising that the Redskins may have already filled this key role with 2013 fifth-rounder Chris Thompson.

The pocket-edition pace merchant is being given "first crack" at the job, per Mike Jones of The Washington Post. Yet apparently, his chances are a little more solid than that, at least according to the player himself.

Thompson told Redskins Nation host Larry Michael the third-down role is his "to lose" (h/t Redskins.com). That's a bold statement from a player who's made just six appearances in two seasons as a pro.

One of those came in Week 15 last season against the New York Giants. Thompson carried the ball three times for 12 yards and caught the same number of passes for 22 yards, including a nine-yard score.

He certainly has the speed, moves and pass-catching talents to take to third-down work in an instant. That's assuming he stays healthy after his history of injury woes, which includes back problems.

In this context, it would definitely be more than a gamble for head coach Jay Gruden to entrust a vital job on the offense to Thompson at this early stage. Gruden is clearly aware of the potential for finding a new playmaker for the backfield from this draft, per ESPN's John Keim:

"

It's very deep running back draft in my opinion, and we're excited to add another piece at some point, hopefully. We have seven picks. Hopefully one of them will be a running back, or a free agent to compete. There are some good free agents that haven't been signed yet.

"

Resisting these options and leaving just Thompson and Silas Redd to backup Alfred Morris is an unnecessary roll of the dice. The better option is finding a more durable alternative to Thompson, preferably one who won't be limited to football's money down.

Amari Cooper Still on the Radar

It makes little sense, but the Redskins continue to court the idea of drafting a wide receiver in the first round. The idea was given some credence by ex-Alabama star pass-catcher Amari Cooper visiting Washington, per National Football Post writer Aaron Wilson.

But this idea is tough to justify at a time when the roster is loaded at the position—fully loaded to be exact. How else would you describe a rotation boasting DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon and Andre Roberts?

Adding another No. 1 receiver in the making to this group really would be a case of too many cooks in the kitchen. Fortunately, bloating talent-rich position groups is not something McCloughan is in favor of, according to ESPN's John Keim:

"

In other words, he doesn’t want to select a player at an area they don’t have an immediate hole. Like receiver, for example. There is no doubt that West Virginia’s Kevin White and Alabama’s Amari Cooper are two of the best players in the draft. Both could help Washington, giving them two players who can hurt teams after the run, and both are considered excellent workers. But though receiver might be a need a year from now (maybe not), what the Redskins need there now is depth. That can be found in the middle rounds.

"

Passing on Cooper makes the most sense, no matter what the contract status for Garcon and Jackson looks like in 12 months. That's not to say Cooper's talent doesn't demand attention.

Any flanker who can attack defenses at every level of the field naturally attracts buzz. It's also true that dominant receivers can be a quarterback's best friend.

Robert Griffin III, Kirk Cousins and Colt McCoy each have issues and would all benefit from a sure-handed playmaker who can manufacture big gains. That's what Cooper is, and it's probably one reason why B/R's Matt Miller favorably compares him to Reggie Wayne.

But throwing talented receiver after talented receiver at the quarterback problem won't fix it. That Garcon and Jackson were not enough to improve play under center should tell the Redskins that the problem lies elsewhere.

A backfield outlet would be more important for developing quarterbacks. Even that won't be as valuable as improving the offensive line, which should be the real focus of McCloughan's first draft in charge.

The defensive front seven received enough work in free agency to make it OK to overlook it at the top of this draft. But Washington can't put a high enough value on what a few quality offensive linemen would do for this team.