2011 NFL Draft: 10 Players the Washington Redskins Should Be Targeting
The Washington Redskins have plenty of needs to address in this year's upcoming draft come April.
With two disastrous seasons in a row, it is clear that second year head coach and general manager Bruce Allen have some serious needs on both sides of the ball.
The offensive line didn't have much improvement despite drafting left tackle Trent Williams in last year's draft fifth overall.
It is clear the Redskins need new weapons on the offensive side.
With quarterback Donovan McNabb most likely moving on—this trade was worse then when owner Dan Synder signed Jeff George in 1999, leading to the benching of eventual Super Bowl Champion Brad Johnson—and running back Clinton Portis awaiting a nice pay day, the Redskins need to get younger at both positions.
There is serious need for an elite wide receiver and possibly buffer up the offensive line especially at the center position.
On the defensive side, the 'Skins need serious help in the secondary.
They should also be looking for another noise tackle to dominate the line of scrimmage in the 3-4 scheme.
A few new linebackers wouldn't be a bad idea either.
It's sad to say, but the Redskins need help pretty much at every position on the field.
In this list, we're going to take a look at the six draft picks the Redskins have—round one(10), round two (41), round five (141,152), round six( 172) and round seven (202)—and talk about who would be best to target at those picks.
Round Seven: Texas Tech Outside Line Backer Brian Duncan
1 of 10
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 248 pounds
In his senior campaign, Duncan showed huge leaps in his ability of getting to the quarterback.
He had seven sacks this past season—his pervious three years, he had zero—adding 63 tackles and a forced fumble.
Duncan could possibly help the Redskins in their 3-4 scheme as he does show decent speed, but nothing that will "Wow" you.
Round Six: Virginia Tech Quarterback Tyrod Taylor
2 of 10
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 216 pounds
Accumulated a 34-8 record as a starter during his tenure at VIrginia Tech.
Taylor had a solid season under center for the Hokies in 2010—2,743 passing yards with a 59.7 completion percentage and a 24-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
He also can get it done with his feet as he rushed for 659 yards and five touchdowns averaging 4.5 yards-per-carry.
In his 2010 campaign, Taylor showed he is improving on his intelligence/decision making as a quarterback, throwing only five interceptions.
If Taylor was to go to the Redskins, Shanahan will most likely want to work on his feet, as they do tend to get sloppy at times.
Taylor could also move to wide receiver if quarterback doesn't work out in the NFL, and the Redskins could maybe get a steal if that turns out.
Round Five: Oregon Inside Linebacker Casey Matthews
3 of 10
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 241 pounds
The younger brother of the Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Clay Matthews, Casey shows some good upside, coming from a family of legacy in the NFL.
His senior year, he had a total of 73 tackles, with 34 of them being solo.
He managed to get to the quarterback three times, forcing a fumble and making three interceptions.
Matthews improved on his play every season while in Oregon, and if he can be half of the player his brother is, the Redskins could get a real bargain at this pick.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Round Five: Miami Wide Receiver Leonard Hankerson
4 of 10
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 213 pounds
Hankerson is an interesting prospect at 6'3" who has shown good speed for his size.
With his long legs, he builds speed as he goes, so he does lack that burst of acceleration you would like to see in an elite receiver.
He will need to work on getting in and out of his breaks faster but a plus is he uses his big frame to shield defenders.
Hankerson uses his hands more often than his body and can secure the ball in the traffic across the middle holding onto the ball, all while taking a big hit.
In his senior season, he had 1,156 yards on 72 receptions with 13 touchdowns.
A tall and strong receiver is just what the Redskins need and could get lucky in round five.
Round Two: Baylor Noise Tackle Phil Taylor
5 of 10
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 351 pounds
With the whole Albert Haynesworth situation, the Redskins have an issue at noise tackle and need to address it fast.
Taylor began his career at Penn State but transferred to Baylor after his freshman season due to an off the field incident.
He possesses a massive frame and a very strong lower body.
The big fella does a good job at staying low with a powerful bull rush when firing off the ball.
Has a big and strong initial punch with quick hands; however, he won't win battles at the line with a quick first step, which should be expected from someone with his size.
Another issue for Taylor will be his conditioning—something we know Shanahan will not put up with—and he tends to wear down as the game goes on.
Taylor mustered 62 tackles with 35 solo tackles and sacks this past season.
This could be a nice pick for the "Skins," who could come in and help make an immediate impact.
Round Two: Mississippi State Offensive Tackle Derek Sherrod
6 of 10
Height: 6'5"
Weight: 303 pounds
Sherrod shows the prototypical height but could add a few pounds for the tackle position. His speed is good for his size; however, it could decline if he does add some weight to his frame.
He has long arms that can help against speed rushers, but he does have a tendency to fall on his heels when facing an explosive rusher.
More instinctive as a run blocker than in the passing game, as he does a great job using his length sealing defenders and opens up big running lanes.
Can do an OK job of picking up assignments and does a decent job when pulling around the edge or down the line.
Does show the ability to pick up pressure from the second and third line of defense.
To play in Shanahan's system, he will need to work on being more aggressive, his strength and can always work on his foot work.
Round One: Alabama Wide Receiver Julio Jones
7 of 10
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 220 pounds
With excellent height and a great frame, Jones has the ability to score on any play with great top-end speed.
This past season, he hauled in 78 receptions for 1,133 yards but only seven touchdowns.
His lack of touchdowns can be credited to constantly being double-teamed.
Although he is a legit vertical threat with his quick start and long strides, he needs to get better at separating at the line of scrimmage.
However, he does a great job of quickly gathering his feet when running hook, curl and comeback routes.
Also does a great job in the open area working against zone coverage.
He needs to work on using his hands more when receiving the ball, as he tends at times to use his body, resulting in drops.
Shows excellent body control when going up for the ball making acrobatic catches. On the flip side, he needs to get better at catching the ball in traffic.
Jones should get better at all of these easy fixes and become an elite receiver for years to come.
Round 1: Auburn Quarterback Cam Newton
8 of 10
Height: 6'6"
Weight: 250 pounds
Newton is a very interesting prospect, as he took college football by storm in 2010.
He threw for 2,854 yards with a 66.1 completion percentage, a 30-to-7 touchdown to interception ratio and 1,473 rushing yards with 20 touchdowns.
The fact that he did all this while playing in the SEC shows this kid could be something very special for the next decade.
One problem though, he is a what I call a "one-hit-wonder"; we only were able to watch him play on the national level for one season.
Who's to say that if he did return for his senior season those fast SEC defenses wouldn't be able to make adjustments.
On the flip—side of the coin though, you can say Tim Tebow at Florida almost did the same thing year—after—year in the same conference.
Newton shows great talent and play maker ability, especially for someone of his stature. His release is smooth and shows good foot work.
It's just a matter if Shanahan is feeling lucky on draft day.
Round 1: Alabama Defensive Tackle Marcell Dareus
9 of 10
Height: 6'2" Weight: 303 pounds
Has good height and weight for a defensive tackle but a better frame to play defensive end in certain 3—4 schemes.
Shows tremendous speed for his size and stays low giving him a huge advantage.
When he his confronted by another blocker his motor doesn't stop, he drives his legs making it very difficult to throw him off his feet.
Great quick hands and feet allow him to get out of trouble.
A huge plus for Dareus is his ability of having a complete arsenal of twists and stunts, keeping the offensive line of their toes.
He will need to improve his conditioning to be affective through out an NFL game.
This past season he totaled 33 tackles with 20 solo and five sacks.
The Redskins will not be disappointed if they have the opportunity to draft Dareus and could have the league's best rushers in himself and Orakpo for the next decade.
Round 1: Purdue Defensive End Ryan Kerrigan
10 of 10
Height: 6'4" Weight: 259 pounds
Kerrigan has good height and average weight with great speed off of the edge.
He shows great burst of the ball with tremendous power that allows him to turn the corner effectively and fast.
Needs to work on his ability when it comes to containing mobile quarterbacks and his ability to use his hands.
On the plus side he closes on the backside very fast and hits hard, always looks to knock the ball lose when he gets to the quarterback.
The bottom line, he is relentless as a pass rusher and a monster at closing on the ball.
This past season he accumulated 70 total tackles with 50 solo tackles and 13 sacks.
HIs ability to get to the quarterback is un-canny and would be a great fit in the redskins 3-4.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")