2011 NFL Mock Draft: Washington Redskins' Seven-Round Projections
One of the most intriguing teams in the 2011 NFL draft is the Washington Redskins, as it very unclear as to what their intentions are regarding their first-round pick.
If it were only their 10th pick that was the biggest concern, the team would be in much better shape. Unfortunately, the Redskins have far more needs than can be addressed in one draft or even offseason. That means the team should pursue gaining more draft picks by trading down. This would allow them to open more opportunities to fill the voids on their roster.
In this mock, I have the Redskins trading down five spots with the Miami Dolphins in turn for the Dolphins third-round, 79th overall pick. I've never done a mock draft before, so I'm sure it will be far from perfect, but feel free to leave comments and opinions.
Round One, 15th Overall: OLB Akeem Ayers (UCLA)
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No, it's not Cam Newton, Blaine Gabbert or Jake Locker. Not a quarterback.
By trading down to 15th, the Redskins opt to go towards improving the 3-4 defense and outside linebacker position. Mike Shanahan, in his press conference at the NFL combine, stated that another pass-rushing linebacker was one of the team's top needs. That is why they will choose to sign OLB Akeem Ayers out of UCLA.
Von Miller of Texas A&M will be long gone by this point. Robert Quinn and Ryan Kerrigan are both options, but the Redskins need purely 3-4 personnel, and Ayers fits that mold. This pick would complete the "bookends" of the 3-4 defense with Ayers and Orakpo. A blitz package with Landry, Orakpo and Ayers would be a nightmare for offensive lines.
Round Two, 41st Overall: WR Leonard Hankerson (University of Miami)
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Even if Santana Moss is a Redskin next year, there is a huge lack of depth at that position.
A first-round Julio Jones would be nice, but Hankerson is a smarter choice in the second round and a huge improvement from Roydell Williams or Terrence Austin. If Moss doesn't come back to the roster, Hankerson is a must, and as free agency will most likely come after the draft, Hankerson would automatically assume the No. 1 wide receiver spot on the team.
It doesn't matter who the quarterback is; playing with the Redskins wideouts is a challenge. Hankerson would add depth to a very sparse wide-receiving corps.
Round 3, 79th Overall (Miami): QB Christian Ponder (Florida State University)
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Frankly, the analysts at NFL.com have the quarterbacks in this draft ranked way too high on the charts.
Newton wouldn't even be worthy of a top-10 pick last year, but he's listed as a possible top three? The teams will pass on the quarterbacks, and Newton and Gabbert will fall out of the top 10. This will push players like Kaepernick, Dalton and Ponder deeper into the draft.
The Redskins wouldn't be able to pass up a quarterback in the third and move to the fifth round. This is where they pick up Christian Ponder as their future franchise QB. He won't suit up as the starter in 2011, but he'll be groomed for the position in 2012.
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Round Five, 141st Overall: OG/C John Moffitt (University of Wisconsin)
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Any of the Wisconsin offensive linemen would probably be an upgrade from the Redskins front line.
The offensive line for Washington needs some major help, and John Moffitt would aid in that improvement. Moffitt would replace Kory Lichtensteiger at guard and allow him to move to his natural position of center. He is big enough to make his presence felt and versatile enough to fit into Mike Shanahan's zone-blocking scheme.
Moffitt would also add much needed youth to an aging interior line.
Round Five, 152nd Overall (New Orleans): K Alex Henery (University of Nebraska)
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There's no doubt that Alex Henery is the best kicker in the draft this year.
Graham Gano was good on kickoffs but terrible at field goals last year. The Redskins played nine games this year where the margin of victory was three points or less, and chances are, if the game was a loss, Gano missed at least one field goal.
The kid is a good kid, but the Redskins have to part ways with him. His replacement would be Henery out of Nebraska. Henery completed on 26-of-28 field goals last year and was a solid kicker for the Huskers. The transition to the NFL is hard on kickers, but keeping Gano would be just as bad as this kid at his worst.
Round Six, 172nd Overall: NT Anthony Gray (University of Southern Mississippi)
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The fact that the Redskins' need for a nose tackle has not been a mystery with the Haynesworth crisis last year, the Redskins have already brought in free-agent Sean Rogers for an interview from Cleveland to try to fix the problem.
Anthony Gray wouldn't be the starter, but he would add depth to a defensive line that was pretty pathetic last year. In his senior year, Gray accounted for 7.5 tackles for losses and two sacks.
Round Seven, 202nd Overall: RB Noel Devine (West Virginia University)
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Noel Devine is a fireball when he gets out in space.
The Redskins seem to have found their replacement for Clinton Portis (who is likely on his way out) in Ryan Torain. Torain is a power back that runs downhill and can break through tackles. However, the team lacks a speed back that can make one cut and break free.
Shanahan has made a habit of finding his running backs in the late rounds of the draft. Devine is one of the fastest backs in the draft, but his small size and small hands have dropped his projected round to seven.
Round 7, 213th Overall (Indianapolis): OT Kyle Hix (University of Texas)
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Kyle Hix is an offensive guard that should better be defined as a right guard.
He can only play on the right side. That's not really a problem for the Redskins. Whether Jammal Brown is back or not, they need depth at the right tackle position. Stephon Heyer is abysmal on the either side but worse on the right.
Kyle Hix would be called on to relieve Jammal Brown and possibly steal Stephon Heyer's spot as the backup tackle.
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