Washington Redskins Draft Picks: Results, Analysis and Grades
Scot McCloughan and the Washington Redskins eventually got the trade they were looking for in the 2015 NFL draft, per NFL Network's Albert Breer. The rebuilding NFC East club now has extra ammunition to add to its trio of solid selections in the first three rounds.
McCloughan started his rebuild in fine style by getting perhaps the best value pick of any team in the opening round when he selected Brandon Scherff fifth overall.
Taking the ex-Iowa offensive tackle was a smart ploy, one that ensures the protection in front of quarterback Robert Griffin III will improve. Scherff will also boost last season's declining rushing attack.
Regular readers will recognize the phrase, Scherff to the Redskins is the "safest pick in this year's draft," as a familiar one from yours truly. With Scherff headed to D.C., McCloughan was free to find pass-rushing help for the defense that took down quarterbacks a mere 36 times in 2014 from Round 2.
Despite the presence of prospects such as Nate Orchard and Owamagbe Odighizuwa, McCloughan rolled the dice on Preston Smith, an intriguing, big-bodied edge player who possesses excellent versatility.
He followed that by taking true power back Matt Jones in the third. That pick came after the Redskins engineered a trade with the Seattle Seahawks.
With two of the team's biggest needs met and seven picks on Day 3, Washington is already in a great position to leave this draft with a significantly stronger roster than the one which ended last season 4-12.
Be sure to check back with this tracker once picks are made for instant analysis and grades for each selection.
Round 1, Pick 5: Brandon Scherff, OL, Iowa
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So after all that, McCloughan thinks you can draft a guard in the top five after all. That sound you hear is yours truly banging his head against the wall for being gutless enough to back off this pick in his final mock.
Scherff has always been the pick who made the most sense for Washington. He'll bring size, a nasty streak and some major thump to an O-line that's been pushed around for too long during recent seasons.
Adding a 6'5", 319-pounder to the interior can certainly put a stop to that. McCloughan wants a beefier inside trio, per Liz Clarke of The Washington Post.
Scherff, who projects best at guard, per NFL Network's Mike Mayock (h/t NFL.com's Dan Parr), represents an instant upgrade on either 2014 starter, Shawn Lauvao and Chris Chester.
Or maybe the Outland Trophy winner slides outside and finally solves this team's longstanding need for competent play at right tackle. As mentioned in an earlier mock, written when this scribe had the courage to back his gut, getting an upgrade at any one of three positions is the best value a team can find in the draft.
McCloughan has been all about fortifying the trenches since he took over in D.C. He used free agency to bolster the D-line, and now he's finally done something about the mess in front of Robert Griffin III.
I'll give myself a C- for wimping out at the 11th hour, but this smart pick deserves the best grade possible.
Grade: A+
Round 2, Pick 38: Preston Smith, DE, Mississippi State
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Washington gets its pass-rusher a round later than many expected after taking Preston Smith with the sixth pick in Round 2. It's a selection not without a few question marks.
The most notable is exactly how the 6'5", 271-pounder will transition to standing up at the edge of a 3-4 defense, even in a hybrid scheme. That's assuming he even makes that switch.
NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein compares him to Antonio Smith, a one-gap 3-technique in hybrid, linebacker-led defenses. But the Redskins aren't exactly short on single-gap ends. Smith seems a little too thick-bodied and stiff-moving to consistently crash the edges at the pro level.
On the other hand, McCloughan does want big guys at the edges of the front seven. He's spent the entire offseason constructing a bigger D. The arrival of linemen Stephen Paea, Ricky Jean Francois and Terrance Knighton in free agency got that transition started.
Smith becomes just the latest piece of the puzzle, while offering the potential to boost an edge-rushing rotation wafer thin behind Ryan Kerrigan.
Grade: C+
Round 3, Pick 69: Pick Traded to Seattle Seahawks
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McCloughan told you he wanted more picks, and now he has them after Washington traded down in Round 3. The Redskins sent the 69th overall choice to the Seattle Seahawks, per Brian McNally of 106.7 The Fan.
To really sweeten the pot, McCloughan asked for and got extra fourth-, fifth- and sixth-round choices, per NFL Network's Albert Breer. For those keeping score, that takes the Redskins and McCloughan to the magic 10-pick number he coveted prior to the draft, according to CSN Washington's Rich Tandler.
McCloughan has now armed himself with ample late-round ammunition to go hunting for some real value. That's great news for a team with holes still to plug at running back, guard, cornerback, safety and inside linebacker.
Finding gems late on is what sets great team-builders apart from the rest. By the end of this draft, the Redskins will get a clearer idea of just how good McCloughan is.
Grade: A
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Round 3, Pick 95: Matt Jones, RB, Florida
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Using the pick he got from the Seahawks, McCloughan got the extra running back Washington's offense needs. The only curveball aspect of this pick is that McCloughan didn't choose the explosive, third-down-style speedster many would have anticipated.
Instead, he took Matt Jones off the board. A 6'2", 231-pound bruiser, Jones has power back traits, attributes that will fit with the new direction this offense is taking up front.
With the arrival of new line coach Bill Callahan, the Redskins are set to rely on hat-on-hat, drive-blocking techniques. That shift will require more physical running inside.
Jones answers that need as a smash-mouth-style grinder who also boasts excellent blocking skills. The only factor preventing a higher grade is the lack of shiftiness and big-play potential Jones will offer.
He's more of a poor man's clone of starting workhorse Alfred Morris.
Grade: B-
Round 4, Pick 105: Jamison Crowder, WR, Duke
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In the first deviation from bulking up both the offense and defense, the Redskins plucked a slightly built speedster off the board with their first pick in Round 4. McCloughan opted for Jamison Crowder, the diminutive burner from Duke who can also return kicks.
This is an interesting pick because the 5'8", 185-pound Crowder has the build of a classic, fleet-of-foot dynamo from the slot. That's what Washington hoped to get in the fifth round last year when the team took sure-handed Ryan Grant off the board.
Yet, for all Grant's possession-style skills, he lacks the explosive qualities to really stretch the field. Crowder offers genuine game-breaking potential whether as a return man or a supplemental receiver.
Grade: C+
Round 4, Pick 112: Arie Kouandjio, G, Alabama
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Washington finally got a guard to add to a bigger, power-based line. The only question is did McCloughan reach for Alabama's Arie Kouandjio?
According to the player's NFL.com draft profile, the answer would be yes. An unnamed SEC defensive coordinator told Lance Zierlein: "Not a fan. I've always thought he was bad. Name only, can't play."
Hardly the glowing endorsement every team wants for its draft picks. Yet, negative reviews aside, Kouandjio does at least fit the team's new commitment to gap and drive blocking up front.
He carries a 6'5", 310-pound frame on a big body. Playing for the Crimson Tide, Kouandjio is also more than well-versed in power schemes. He's particularly effective pulling around the corner.
This is certainly the type of O-lineman Washington's changes in the trenches and on the ground need for 2015. One other note of caution, though, comes from CBSSports.com's Rob Rang, who described how Kouandjio is something of a medical risk: "Serious medical concerns after multiple knee surgeries to both knees."
Grade: C
Round 5, Pick 141: Martrell Spaight, LB, Arkansas
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McCloughan may have tabbed ex-Arkansas hitter Martrell Spaight to bolster the rotation at inside linebacker. The former Razorbacks' tackling machine is ostensibly listed as an outside 'backer but seems a natural candidate to transition to the middle.
At 6'0" and 236 pounds, he doesn't have the prototype size to fit at the edges of a 3-4. While he's also not the biggest to fit inside, Spaight may be more comfortable in the type of one-gap, linebacker-led scheme that covers up the men in the middle better than traditional 3-4 fronts.
Washington will use more single-gap techniques up front this season. So Spaight makes sense as competition for Perry Riley Jr. and a prime candidate to help out on special teams.
But the player may have come off the board a round too early, and the size-and-scheme fit is an issue.
Grade: C-
Round 5, Pick 167: Pick Traded to New Orleans Saints
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Apparently, McCloughan wasn't done trading after all. He dealt Washington's second fifth-round choice, one he'd acquired via a trade with the Seattle Seahawks, to the New Orleans Saints.
The NFC South outfit received this draft's 167th overall pick. In exchange, Washington was awarded New Orleans's sixth-rounder this year and next, according to CSN Washington's Rich Tandler.
After McCloughan's wheeling and dealing, the Redskins now have a trio of picks in the sixth round. They are the 181st, 182nd and 187th.
Any trade has to be initially judged on volume and value. McCloughan clearly didn't feel there was much in of the latter left in Round 5. So he's opted for quantity in the sixth to help fill out the remaining roster holes and add competition at key spots.
Grade: B+
Round 6, Pick 181: Kyshoen Jarrett, S, Virginia Tech
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Another safety needed to be added to a position McCloughan wisely recruited veterans Jeron Johnson and Dashon Goldson to upgrade earlier this offseason. Well, the Redskins have now found their rookie at the position after selecting Kyshoen Jarrett with the 181st pick in the 2015 NFL draft.
As has been typical with most of the picks McCloughan has made so far, Jarrett is a player defined by his physicality. Less a coverage safety and more one who loves to hit, the 5'10", 200-pounder fits the type of punishing secondary McCloughan probably wants Washington to field, following his stints in San Francisco and Seattle.
Jarrett likely didn't feature in many Washington mocks during the predraft process, but he's an aggressive player with good size for the free safety position. The Redskins needed an obvious backup for Goldson, and now McCloughan has found him.
Grade: B
Round 6, Pick 182: Tevin Mitchel, CB, Arkansas
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As much as another safety was needed, so was an extra cornerback for secondary depth. That's why picking Tevin Mitchel with 182nd overall makes sense.
Yet, while the pick makes sense, it's easy to bemoan the fact McCloughan left prospects such as Ladarius Gunter, Cam Thomas and Charles Gaines on the board. Mitchel does at least offer good size at 6'0" and 190 pounds.
But this is certainly a bit of a curveball from McCloughan, who's obviously determined to stay faithful to his board, no matter who else might be left available.
Grade: C
Round 6, Pick 187: Evan Spencer, WR, Ohio State
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McCloughan used the final pick he earned in a trade to snatch another wide receiver off the board. This time, he went for a bigger pass-catcher, in the form of Evan Spencer.
The 6'2", 208-pound former Ohio State ace has the frame and tenacity of a solid blocker in open space. Receivers offering that skill are always invaluable for helping create big plays in the running game.
Spencer is also sure-handed, although he lacks elite vertical speed and isn't the most polished receiver out of his breaks. At the moment, he looks like a prime candidate to find early work on special teams, where he can be an asset for the coverage units.
He'll certainly find it tough to break into a crowded receiver rotation already featuring DeSean Jackson, Pierre Garcon, Andre Roberts and Ryan Grant. The group was also bolstered by fourth-round choice Jamison Crowder.
Grade: C-
Round 7, Pick 222: Austin Reiter, C, South Florida
12 of 12The Redskins rounded out their 2015 draft with another smart pick to answer an under-the-radar need. McCloughan used his lone seventh-round pick to take former South Florida center Austin Reiter off the board.
He's 6'3" and 301 pounds, so Reiter offers a little more bulk than incumbent anchorman Kory Lichtensteiger. That fits with the way Washington has approached this draft. It's been all about getting bigger and tougher, particularly in the trenches.
Lichtensteiger needed cover. Neither Josh LeRibeus nor Spencer Long are natural centers, so Reiter should have a decent shot at making the final roster.
Like most of the picks during McCloughan's first draft in charge, this one answers a need and fits the new personality of a rebuilding roster.
Grade: B
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