Did Washington Make Right Call Going All-in on Brandon Scherff, RG3?

It's been a little while since we saw the Washington Redskins in the first round of the NFL draft. Since 2012, in fact, when the team mortgaged their future to move up and pick quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Since then, there's been one year of success and two of disappointment. As Griffin heads into a make-or-break 2015 season, the Redskins have once again mortgaged their future on behalf of their quarterback—this time with what some viewed as a puzzling draft pick.

As Sports Illustrated tweeted, the Redskins made Iowa Hawkeyes offensive tackle Brandon Scherff the fifth pick of the 2015 draft Thursday night:

The 6'5", 320-pound Scherff was widely regarded as this year's top tackle prospect, a player who Rob Rang and Dane Brugler of CBS Sports compared to Zack Martin of the Dallas Cowboys:

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Scherff is athletic enough to remain outside at tackle but his build and physicality could be even more effective inside at guard. Regardless of where along the offensive line his NFL teams asks him to play, Scherff boasts the talent and toughness to stand out immediately.

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Given that the Redskins ranked 19th in run blocking and 31st in pass protection last year per Football Outsiders, the offensive line was an obvious area of need for the team, so the Scherff pick was generally met with applause:

Bleacher Report NFL national lead writer Matt Bowen liked the pick, as well:

However, those sentiments were not unanimous:

And that's the elephant in the room.

Yes, Scherff was the highest-rated tackle on most boards this year. But in passing on USC Trojans defensive tackle Leonard Williams to draft Scherff, the Redskins bypassed the player most pundits considered the top prospect at any position.

And Williams is a player who would have been an immediate help for a Washington defense that needs it.

Still, at the end of the day, it's a sensible choice. Yes, Washington head coach Jay Gruden was hardly enthusiastic about the idea of Griffin as his quarterback last year—often with good reason.

However, the fact is that Washington has a ton invested in Griffin. It took a bucket full of picks to acquire the 2011 Heisman Trophy winner to begin with, and Washington has already picked up Griffin's 2016 fifth-year option.

For all Gruden's waffling in 2014, it's too early to give up on RG3, especially after the success he enjoyed as a rookie.

So, while passing on Williams hurts, improving Griffin's protection was a safe and sound play.

After all, it's going to be a lot easier for Griffin to recapture his mojo if he's, you know—upright.

Gary Davenport is an NFL analyst at Bleacher Report and a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and the Pro Football Writers of America. You can follow Gary on Twitter at @IDPSharks.