Washington Redskins: 10 Draft Picks To Target in 2011
The Washington Redskins have been officially eliminated from the playoffs for the 2010 season.
Know what that means?
It is already time to start looking at the draft.
At last count, the Redskins have seven picks to work with, but no picks in the third or fourth round.
As much as some people would like to play that off, some of the most solid talent in the NFL has come from these rounds lately.
Don't believe me?
Look at the 2008 draft alone. The third round saw players like Early Doucet, Jamaal Charles and Steve Slaton taken. That is some pretty solid talent.
During this slide show I will look at some of the talent the Redskins could conceivably get during the 2011 Draft.
I will start with the later round picks and move all the way up to some options for the first round pick.
Honorable Mention: Jake Kirkpatrick, Center TCU
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Currently projected as a 5th round pick, Jake Kirkpatrick of TCU was the center of a team that brought a lot of controversy this year in college football.
He is a solid offensive lineman with good size—6'3", 305lbs. He would make an excellent addition to an offensive line that is very weak in the middle.
Kirkpatrick is heavier than Casey Rabach, but he is stronger and faster.
Other Bleacherreport.com writers, along with this one agree, that Kirkpatrick would be a good fit for this team.
7th Round: Tyrod Taylor, Quarterback Virginia Tech
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Currently projected as a 7th rounder, Tyrod Taylor is coming off a precision showing at the ACC title game against Florida State.
His accuracy has been questionable at times but he has also been in a system with three excellent running backs behind him.
Statistically, Taylor had his best season during his senior year. His spiral is getting tighter the older he gets and he runs the 40 yard dash in 4.55.
To put that is perspective, Michael Vick runs it in 4.3. Vince Young ran it in 4.53.
6th Round: Ugo Chinasa, Defensive End Oklahoma State
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Currently projected to go in the fifth to sixth round, Chinasa is a good steal in this year's rich defensive end draft.
He is plenty tall at 6'5". He would need to pack on about twenty pounds to make an ideal sized defensive end—he is currently at 260lbs.
He runs the 40 yard dash in 4.74, not as fast as most but he is more than capable of stopping a ball carrier or getting after a quarterback. He is also deceptive because he can bolt up off the line and drop into zone coverage.
He is also pretty good at timing a pass and has long arms so he can get his hands up to deflect a pass.
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6th Round: Evan Royster, Running Back Penn State
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Hometown kid, Evan Royster grew up in Fairfax, Virginia. That is less than 30 miles from Fedex Field where the Redskins play their home games and the Skins are no stranger to taking talented players from the school of Joe Paterno football (LaVar Arrington).
Royster needs a good game against Florida to break 1,000 yards for the third straight season.
He is also a duel threat being able to catch pretty well out of the backfield.
Royster's size, 6'1" 228lbs, would be a welcome addition to a football team that consistently seems to be getting smaller. To put his size in perspective, he is almost a match to fan favorite, Ryan Torain.
5-6th Round: Justin Boren, Guard Ohio State
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Justin Boren could possibly bring a lucky horseshoe with him from Ohio State to the Nation's Capital.
Boren plays offensive guard, which is one of the positions the Redskins need to work on the most this coming off-season.
He is currently projected to go in the fifth or sixth round and is the ninth ranked senior guard, according to CBSsports.com.
Boren is a little bit undersized for guard at 6'2" 265lbs, but packing on twenty more pounds would take his stock up through the roof because his technique is amazing.
Then again, you know who else was his size? Hogs great Jeff Bostic. He had some pretty good technique too.
5th Round: Greg Salas, Wide Receiver Hawaii
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Remember what I said about the Redskins continuing to get smaller?
That could stop with a pick of Greg Salas.
Salas is 6'2", 210lbs and runs the 40 yard dash in 4.54.
Blazing speed? Not really.
Solid hands? Oh yeah.
Salas holds the school record, which is known for having a passing offense, in receiving yards. He has also come close twice to setting single season records for receptions and yards.
In 2010, Salas has caught 12 touchdowns. He ranks second in the nation in receiving yards per game (128.8) and third in receptions per game (8.15).
He is currently considered the slot receiver, which would be a big help, no pun intended, for the Redskins offense.
5th Round: Rashard Carmichael, Cornerback Virginia Tech
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According to CBSsports.com, Carmichael is projected to go in the fifth round.
Carlos Rogers is about to become a free agent.
Philip Buchanon is a nickel corner that is being forced to become the #2 man on the Washington secondary behind Carmichael's fellow Hokie DeAngelo Hall.
Since becoming a starter at the beginning of 2009, Carmichael has intercepted 10 passes.
In the past two seasons, he has amassed 90 tackles.
He is also a hometown favorite, growing up in Clinton, Maryland. Fedex Field is about 10 miles from where he grew up so he would be a huge home grown pick.
Carmichael's size is deceiving. At 5'11" 186 lbs, he is not going to stop a fullback head to head by himself but he is physical enough to put himself right in the thick of things.
His speed is where he would make a great contribution, he runs the 40 yard dash in 4.38. That is about as fast as Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders.
2nd Round: Ras-I Dowling, Cornerback Virginia
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How "Cavalier" of me to pick two ACC cornerbacks in a row, huh?
Dowling is the best player the University of Virginia has right now and he has reluctantly accepted his place in the media spotlight.
He has amazing character and is the kind of player every locker room needs. He comes to work, does his job and is not going to draw too much attention to himself while still commanding respect and firing up his teammates.
A two time All-ACC team member, Dowling has good size at 6'2", 200 lbs. He runs the 40 yard dash in 4.54.
The only thing scary about drafting him is his injuries during his senior season. He was milking a hamstring and ankle injury that caused him to only play in three games all season.
He should be plenty rested and healthy by the time the combine rolls around.
2nd Round: Christian Ponder, Quarterback Florida State
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Currently projected as a second round pick, Christian Ponder is nursing an arm injury and did not play in the ACC Title game. He must realize he has a good chance of settling with an NFL team. I have made it clear that I would like to see him become a Redskin, including him in many of my comments and articles on this site.
Ponder does not have a big arm but the current system does not call for one.
He could benefit by learning from two future Hall of Famers in Donovan McNabb and Coach Mike Shanahan.
He is a mild threat to run the ball when needed and accuracy is not a question considering his completion percentage over the past two seasons of 65.5%.
Ponder is 6'3", 227 lbs and runs the 40 yard dash in 4.68.
His stock will drop him farther into the second round if Stanford's Andrew Luck and Auburn's Cam Newton decide to declare for the draft.
1st Round: Nate Solder, Tackle Colorado
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Scrolling through the not so numerous photos provided by Bleacher Report of Nate Solder, I found it interesting that the only one they had of him was a photo of him blocking current Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo.
This must be a sign, if you are into that sort of thing.
On a more practical note, Solder is a good offensive lineman and that is a position were the Redskins could certainly use some help.
Solder is big, 6'8" 315 lbs.
Solder is fast, 4.89 in the 40 yard dash, which is the fastest time listed by any senior offensive tackle available for the draft this year, according to CBSsports.com.
His technique is pretty good too. He needs to work on pass blocking, you can see that in this highlight video, but his push for the running game is great.
Colorado is not a potential national champion, but it always seems to produce a couple of good NFL caliber players. Steelers great Kordell Stewart, Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson, former Redskin Michael Westbrook, current Jaguars linebacker Brian Iwuh and current Browns fullback Lawrence Vickers are just a few of the many.
1st Round: Cameron Jordan, Defensive End California
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Considered to be one of the top overall picks of the 2011 Draft, Cameron Jordan of California could really help a weak Washington defensive line.
Here are some highlights:
And more:
And just one more:
He can plug a hole by himself. He creates pressure and hunts down whoever happens to be holding the ball.
He had 51 tackles and six sacks during the 2010 season.
Jordan is considered the No. 5 overall senior pick by CBSsports.com.
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