Washington Redskins Initial 7-Round Mock Draft Post-Super Bowl
Scot McCloughan has 10 picks in the 2017 NFL draft; 10 chances for the Washington Redskins general manager to improve a roster that missed out on the playoffs in 2016, one year after capturing the NFC East title.
More to the point, McCloughan has 10 opportunities to do better than he did in 2016. Then, the GM failed to get bang for his buck from the seven selections he made. Or as Mike Jones of the Washington Post put it: "Three of the seven draft picks failed to make the roster, and for now, only one of the remaining four appears set to receive significant playing time."
McCloughan's top pick, wide receiver Josh Doctson, barely saw the field, while second-rounder Su'a Cravens unsuccessfully juggled responsibilities at multiple positions. Washington's primary personnel guru has to find better value this time round.
The smart way to get more would be finally addressing the ongoing needs McCloughan has so far ignored during two years at Redskins Park. So he must beef up a feeble defensive line and add greater physicality across the front seven.
Of course, targeting needs isn't always possible when other circumstances dictate a team's picks. Free agency is one of the main factors likely to influence McCloughan's choices come draft day. The 45-year-old knows star wide receivers DeSean Jackson and Pierre Garcon are set to hit the market, while the future of quarterback Kirk Cousins still needs to be resolved.
Free agency can also afford the Redskins more immediate solutions for their main problems. Specifically, this year's market is fit to burst with quality D-linemen such as Kansas City Chiefs nose tackle Dontari Poe and New York Giants interior destroyer Johnathan Hankins.
With these things in mind, along with the Atlanta Falcons gift-wrapping Super Bowl LI for the New England Patriots now in the rearview mirror, here's the fist look at who McCloughan and Washington will target.
The picks are made sans trades and on the assumption Cousins is brought back.
Round 1: Reuben Foster, ILB, Alabama
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Landing Reuben Foster with the 17th overall choice may seem like wishful thinking, but there's decent reasoning to believe Alabama's tackling machine will still be there when McCloughan makes his first pick.
For one thing, Foster, for all his talent, is hardly Mr. Versatility. In fact, he's more in the mold of a classic downhill thumper in the middle. Foster is at his best between the A-gaps, where he can wreck the guard-center-guard box and snuff out running plays at the source.
Those old-school skills are invaluable, but teams in today's NFL tend to covet more versatility at the inside linebacker position. The Redskins needn't be one of those teams, though. Not when their defense has been gashed consistently on the ground during the last two years.
Washington ranked 24th against the run in 2017, surrendering 4.5 yards a carry. The number won't fly in an NFC East where running back Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys' monster O-line hold court.
Foster would fortify a soft run defense while also giving the Washington defense one obvious thing it lacks, namely a true playmaker at inside linebacker. Try as he might, restricted free agent Will Compton isn't it. He also lacks the size new defensive coordinator Greg Manusky is likely to want inside. Manusky once ran the defense for the Indianapolis Colts where big-bodied D'Qwell Jackson was his enforcer in the middle.
McCloughan ignored the issues stopping the run last year, but he'd be crazy to look past Foster if the throwback hitter is still there at 17.
Round 2: Elijah Qualls, DT, Washington
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McCloughan has been strangely reticent to use prime draft picks on bolstering Washington's woeful D-line. It's a trend he must change after making a hash of fixing the problem position in free agency. Fortunately, Elijah Qualls can provide the remedy for the team's inability to find a true nose tackle to anchor its 3-4 front.
McCloughan has yet to find one after Terrance Knighton proved a free-agency bust in 2015. Ricky Jean Francois has hardly stood out, while Ziggy Hood is a free agent this year. It didn't help when 2016 fifth-round pick Matt Ioannidis struggled to get off the practice squad as a rookie.
Selecting Qualls in Round 2 would give Washington a natural nose guard who will absorb double teams for fun and close off the interior running lanes for the first time in a long while.
Everything about Qualls screams classic 0-technique. NFL.com Media Analyst Bucky Brooks aptly described the Pac-12 behemoth as "a fire hydrant at the line of scrimmage as an immovable run stopper with exceptional power."
Putting this 6'1", 321-pound Huskies linchpin in front of Foster would instantly turn Washington from a generous run front to a nightmare for every running back on 2017's schedule.
Round 3: Juju Smith-Schuster, WR, Southern California
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Ignoring the wide receiver position altogether would be risky business for McCloughan, even though the last wideout he drafted remains on injured reserve. However, the Redskins will still hope to get something from Doctson in year two.
Frankly, they'll need Doctson to make a huge leap forward with Jackson and Garcon ticketed for the open market. Yet, counting on Doctson finally staying healthy would be a pretty flimsy plan, especially when the 2017 draft class features some intriguing receivers. One of them is USC's Juju Smith-Schuster.
The Trojans pass-catcher lacks elite-level vertical speed, a deficiency which could leave him on the board for the third round. But while Smith-Schuster won't win many track meets, he is a big-bodied and possession-style target who uses a wide catching radius and giant mitts to turn bad throws into completions.
Those attributes would make him an obvious replacement for intermediate pass magnet Garcon. As Todd Dybas of the Washington Times has pointed out, there isn't a receiver on the roster who can match the veteran's possession skills: "There is no clear hierarchical replacement for Garcon on the roster. Jamison Crowder is a different type of receiver who lacks Garcon’s size. Ryan Grant has a similar build, and is the recipient of compliments on his routes whenever Washington coach Jay Gruden speaks of him, but he caught just nine passes last season."
Smith-Schuster would represent awesome value, considering how often Cousins looks to work the middle in head coach Jay Gruden's offense. He's the archetypal wideout for a scheme built on West Coast principles, and a prospect who would offset the loss of one or both of Garcon and Jackson.
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Round 4: Jarron Jones, DT, Notre Dame
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Jarron Jones was built to play defensive end on a 3-4 front. His 6'5", 315-pound dimensions are perfect for the two-gap responsibilities of a five-technique.
Jones is a towering menace who won't make a lot of splash plays up front but still disrupt blocking schemes and create clean attack and pursuit lanes for scraping linebackers. In other words, the Notre Dame man is the ideal pick for a Redskins team ageing and ineffective on the edges.
Cullen Jenkins is now 36 and headed for free agency, as is 33-year-old Kedric Golston. Chris Baker is Washington's best defensive lineman, but he's also a free agent, according to Spotrac.com.
McCloughan can't avoid restocking the D-end rotation this offseason, and he's unlikely to find a more suitbale option than Jones. The Irish have produced quality pieces for three-man line schemes at the pro level in recent seasons, including Pittsburgh Steelers ace Stephon Tuitt.
Jones may not hit those heights, but he'd have a great chance of seeing the field often on base downs as a rookie with the Redskins.
Round 4: Eddie Jackson, S, Alabama
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A broken leg ended Eddie Jackson's season with Alabama, but he's still a player McCloughan should consider to add more talent to Washington's perennially weak depth chart at safety.
There's a host of bang-average safeties on this roster, a number of whom are free agents. Duke Ihenacho and Josh Evans are available, as is veteran Donte Whitner. The latter was a McCloughan favorite during their days with the San Francisco 49ers, so he could be back.
If Whitner did return, he'd surely help solidify the strong safety spot. The 31-year-old's experience would offer useful guidance for Cravens, who is set for full-time work at safety in his second season, per ESPN's John Keim. However, a Cravens and Whitner double act wouldn't answer the question marks at free safety.
Will Blackmon was a game competitor in 2016, but he's still a converted cornerback playing deep safety. So is 33-year-old DeAngelo Hall, who ended the season on IR.
Jackson would have the skills to step in once healthy, thanks to his experience playing deep for the Crimson Tide. Working for Nick Saban in Mobile means Jackson would arrive in the big league with an acute understanding of zone drops and route adjustments.
Jackson's pro-readiness is combined with some useful big-play potential in the return game. This is a two-for-one pick worth the risk for McCloughan.
Round 5: De'Veon Smith, RB, Michigan
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Don't sleep on the Redskins' need to add a running back in this year's draft. After all, the position is not exactly stocked at the moment, not when Gruden sent Matt Jones to the lumber for fumbling too often, nor when undrafted grinder Robert Kelley is coming off knee surgery.
Fortunately, McCloughan can find a few gems in the late rounds, usually a breeding ground for serviceable pro runners in recent seasons. One of his best options would be taking Michigan's De'Veon Smith at the top of Round 5.
Smith is a resilient north-south runner who can also be a factor in the passing game. The Wolverines back has also been making the most of his chances to catch the eyes of scouts this offseason. Charlie Campbell of WalterFootball.com noted: "At the East-West Shrine, Smith was excellent and sources raved about him. He showed some real receiving and blocking skills. The performance in St. Petersburg earned Smith an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he put together a solid week."
A versatile workhorse has been missing from Washington's backfield for too long. But if Gruden and McCloughan can't settle on a bell-cow back, the next best thing would be to stock a deep and versatile rotation.
Smith and his 5'11", 220-pound frame would dovetail well alongside a healthy again Kelley and nifty Chris Thompson.
Round 5: Michael Roberts, TE, Toledo
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Washington's offense needs a natural blocker at the tight end position. Vernon Davis can do the job, but the 33-year-old will be a free agent this year.
If Davis doesn't come back, the onus will be on Derek Carrier to be the blocker, but he hasn't been the same since suffering injury in 2015. The same is true for Niles Paul, who missed all of the 2016 campaign.
In truth, Paul isn't much of a blocker to begin with. Instead, the converted wide receiver is the obvious deputy to roving, joker-style star Jordan Reed.
A blocker is needed, so enter Toledo's Michael Roberts, who represents terrific value with McCloughan's second pick in the fifth round. At 6'4" and 261 pounds, Roberts is a true force as a blocker. In fact, he's a throwback to the classic in-line tight end, something the Redskins need to assist in the running game.
A solid pro comparison for Roberts would label him a less dynamic version of New England Patriots ace Martellus Bennett. However, if he's used right, Roberts would prove to be a sleeper on a team with an offense as versatile as Washington's.
Round 6: Ryan Switzer, WR, North Carolina
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One of the reasons the Redskins boasted the second-most prolific pass attack in football in 2016 is the heavy diet of short throws turned into solid gains after the catch. It's become a staple of the Gruden offense with Cousins at the controls, but the principle is just as reliant on a certain type of wide receiver.
The type in question is a diminutive burner who consistently wriggles free from coverage in the slot and wins underneath. Jamison Crowder is the king of the role in Washington, after catching 67 balls for 847 yards and seven scores in 2016.
Cousins is going to need another receiver in the Crowder mold if he's going to remain an effective passer in D.C. Step forward North Carolina's Ryan Switzer, a true sleeper pick in Round 6.
Standing just 5'8" and barely tipping the scales at 179 pounds, Switzer is a player who compares favorably to New England Patriots' catch machine Julian Edelman, according to CBS Sports.
CFBStats.com shows Switzer caught 96 passes in just 13 games during last season. He'd be a niche target next to Crowder and someone sure to make Cousins' job easier.
McCloughan and the Redskins aren't going to find like-for-like replacements for Garcon and Jackson, so it makes sense to go after a different type of receiver.
Round 6: Justin Senior, OL, Mississippi State
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Washington's offensive line goes to pieces whenever left tackle Trent Williams isn't in the lineup. Williams' history of incurring suspensions for substance-abuse infractions only increases the need for the Redskins to leave the 2017 NFL draft with at least one viable future starter up front.
Mississippi State's Justin Senior fits the bill as a mountain-sized versatile type who is ideal for a role as a swing tackle. Senior often played on the right during his collegiate days, but he could also slide over and work on the left.
What Senior brings to either position is a powerful base, long arms and tough hands. His technique isn't the most refined, though, even if his core footwork is nimble and solid.
Overall, Senior is the ultimate raw prospect with the basic tools to be developed into much more. The technical flaws in his game can be addressed by shrewd coaching, the kind Washington hired noted lineman whisperer Bill Callahan to provide.
Round 7: Xavier Woods, S, Louisiana Tech
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Xavier Woods has got the natural-born aggression to play safety at the NFL level. He also possesses the fiery temperament to make his start on special teams and soon catch the attention of Washington's coaches.
Those are the type of qualities smart teams look for in late-round picks. Woods answers the call, as well as being someone capable of adding some talent to that pesky quagmire at safety. He is a natural fit as a strong safety but is also a keen enough zone defender to play deeper.
The Redskins have spent years throwing darts at the board and seeing what sticks in an attempt to solve their issues at both safety spots. So there would be no harm in taking a flier on a player who has been a standout at Louisiana Tech.
Opting for the player listed here would enable McCloughan to suavely tread the line between answering needs and getting value from the best players available. Washington's general manager didn't combine both motivations with last year's selections, making this a pivotal draft for the man charged with making this team an annual contender.
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