2011 NFL Mock Draft: Washington Redskins 7-Round Predictions
The 2011 NFL draft is just a day away and it's about that time to ignore the speculation and set your mocked picks in stone.
In an attempt to perform the impossible, I've thrown together how I think the Washington Redskins should go into the draft on Thursday and better their team. I have also included what I believe the franchise feels at each pick, potential trade partners and the advantages of selecting a specific player.
Overall, this draft class would address the Redskins major needs, and I believe there is a real chance for some sleepers to break through and make a name for themselves in burgundy and gold.
Round 1, Pick 10 (Team's First Selection)
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Although Jason La Canfora of NFL.com has recently reported that the Redskins are looking to trade-up in this draft with intentions of landing Missouri's Blaine Gabbert, I really don't believe that the team has the ammunition to do so.
According to reports, the Redskins would like to trade-up as high as the Denver Broncos' pick at No. 2 in order to assure that they can land arguably this draft's best passer. The only thing I see keeping the Redskins in the conversation of landing that No. 2 pick is the involvement of future high draft picks, as well as Mike Shanahan's relationship with the front office (most notably John Elway and Brian Xanders).
Assuming that the Redskins do not trade up in this draft and they remain at No. 10, they'll hope to land Robert Quinn, this draft's best natural pass-rusher. The chances that Quinn falls to No. 10 is tough to call. Teams like Arizona, Cleveland, San Francisco and Tennessee will all be interested, but if San Fran passes and Tennessee likes Nick Fairley and Jake Locker as much as people are reporting, then Quinn could fit perfectly alongside Brian Orakpo.
With the 10th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select Robert Quinn from the University of North Carolina.
Next Best Option: Cameron Jordan (DE, California)
Potential Trade Partners: St. Louis (if Julio Jones is available at No. 10), Philadelphia (if the division rival really wants to land Prince Amukamara), New England (a team that seems to like Robert Quinn) and Seattle (if Jake Locker slips past San Fran and Tennessee).
Round 2, Pick 9 (Team's Second Selection)
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For a team like the Washington Redskins who really need to address the quarterback position, they're in a difficult spot in the second round. The No. 9 pick is nice, but it's the teams ahead of them that could potentially steal their target.
Redskins beat reporter Chris Russell reported that Shanahan's quarterback big board looks like Gabbert (1), Locker (2), Newton (3) and Dalton (4). And while he and I are both fans of Nevada's Colin Kaepernick, he admitted that the Redskins didn't appear to be as in love him as we would have liked.
In this second round, the Redskins pick behind Buffalo, Cincinnati, Arizona and Tennessee. Now, if any of those teams address their own quarterback situation in the first round, then the Redskins are sitting pretty. But, say, the Bills, Bengals and Titans all need quarterbacks in the second round, that'll be where the going gets tough.
For this pick, I will guess that the Bills are willing to give their current starter Ryan Fitzpatrick a full season after his impressive performance last year. I will also predict that the Titans land their guy, either Gabbert or Locker, with the No. 8 pick in the first round. This now leaves the Redskins with less competition.
According to scouting reports, TCU's Andy Dalton is a quick learner with the potential to strive in a West Coast offense like Shanahan's. If he makes it to the Redskins at No. 9, then he's the pick. I, however, do not think he will and Shanahan will roll with the next best project.
With the 41st pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select Colin Kaepernick from the University of Nevada.
Kaepernick is mobile, he has a cannon for an arm and he has a great work ethic. In Shanahan's system, I really believe Kaepernick could be a star.
Next Best Option: Assuming they still look for a quarterback, Christian Ponder (QB, Florida State).
Potential Trade Partners: Seattle or Jacksonville (if either team had interest in landing Ryan Mallett)
Round 5, Pick 13 (Team's Third Selection)
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Unfortunately, the Redskins aren't able to trade around and land any picks in the third or fourth rounds—a major hiccup for a team that is looking to rebuild the right way.
On the other hand, the Redskins are back-heavy in terms of late-round selections and they'll need to make the most of them. Since addressing the pass-rush in the first round and the quarterback position in the second, Shanahan will likely look to upgrade the offensive line.
With the 144th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select Kris O'Dowd from the University of Southern California.
O'Dowd is an experienced starter in a pro-style offense, and he has a good combination of agility and strength. O'Dowd also possesses a strong work ethic, and he blocks well in both the run and pass. With Casey Rabach looking like his best days are behind him, O'Dowd is a solid and very valuable pick in the fifth round.
Other Possibilities: With Shanahan and his ability to get more out of less when it comes to offensive linemen, the team may remain focused on the defense. I'd keep an eye on cornerback Kendric Burney of UNC and nose tackle Ian Williams of Notre Dame.
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Round 5, Pick 24 (Team's Fourth Selection)
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Although it's a fifth-round pick, I believe this is a very valuable pick for the Redskins. Even in the fifth round, there is plenty of starting talent and the Redskins will go one of two routes.
First, the Redskins (according to this Mock) could continue to rebuild their offensive line. Trent Williams was drafted last season to protect the blindside, Kory Lichtensteiger appears to be a Shanahan favorite at left guard, the team drafted their center of the future just 11 picks prior and the team is hopeful that Jammal Brown can stay healthy and hold down the right tackle spot. That being said, there is still a hole at right guard and a guy like DeMarcus Love out of Arkansas could be valuable here.
Love was a tackle in a very explosive offense in college, with his main duty to protect Ryan Mallett's blindside. However, after watching him be dominated in the Senior Bowl, I believe that Love's true position is at guard—with best case scenario of him moving over to right tackle. He's a massive guy but doesn't have the speed or footwork for left tackle in the NFL. At right guard, a guy like Love could prosper.
The other option for the Redskins would be to address their secondary for the first time in this draft. If Kendric Burney out of UNC is available, I think he'd be a great pick-up. He's small in size, but he has great speed and he's a chippy player, appearing to enjoy getting under opposing receiver's skin.
Another guy to target could be Rashad Carmichael of Viginia Tech. Carmichael has been criticized for being a little undersized, but his speed and solid hands make him a very interesting prospect. Not to mention, being a local product, the Redskins have had plenty of scout time on Carmichael.
With the 155th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select Rashad Carmichael from Virginia Tech Polytechnic Institute and State University.
Other Possibilities: Kendric Burney (CB, North Carolina), Jake Kirkpatrick (C, Texas Christian) if they can't get O'Dowd at No. 144, DeMarcus Love (T/G, Arkansas)
Round 6, Pick 12 (Team's Fifth Selection)
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I'm a supporter of drafting defensive end Cameron Jordan in the first round, but I understand how hard it would be to pass up on a natural talent like Robert Quinn. And at this point in the draft, the defensive line remains a position of need.
Productive players like Phillip Daniels and Vonnie Holliday are approaching the end of their careers and an upgrade is needed. Thanks to the impressive play of Adam Carriker and Anthony Bryant towards the end of last season, I'd like to think that adding a defensive end prospect for remaining hole would create huge potential.
Enter Bruce Miller.
Miller has a nose for the football and he's a true sack machine. Although he won't wow you with his athleticism, Miller has abnormal strength (42 reps), a very good work ethic and he's a great player to have in the locker room.
The team could also look to someone like Nate Irving, an inside linebacker from North Carolina State, or Thomas Keiser, a defensive end from Stanford.
Irving's stock is slipping because of injuries and he's a bit undersized, but he is a very instinctive football player that would be a nice complement to Brian Orakpo and London Fletcher. Keiser, on the other hand, is an experienced end that comes from a very impressive Stanford defense.
With the 177th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select Bruce Miller from the University of Central Florida.
Other Possibilities: Nate Irving (LB, NC State), Thomas Keiser (DE, Stanford)
Round 7, Pick 11 (Team's Sixth Selection)
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Santana Moss is getting older, the verdict is still out on Anthony Armstrong and predicting Malcolm Kelly's future is literally impossible. It doesn't take a whole lot of investigating to realize that the Redskins need help at the wide receiver position.
Shanahan will have the opportunity to land a guy in the sixth round like Terrance Tolliver from LSU or Vincent Brown from San Diego State, but addressing the defensive line will rise to the top as more of a need.
Going into next season, Moss is the obvious No. 1, and I think everyone has faith in Anthony Armstrong. Kelly remains up in the air and the team could use someone to work in the slot and grind out the yards as a safety valve for the team's rookie quarterback.
While playing at Ohio State, Dane Sanzenbacher rarely dropped a pass. He is an above-average route runner with a high football IQ. Although I'd like to see Sanzenbacher be a little more elusive or explosive after he catches the football, I think he's a great fit in Shanahan's West Coast offense.
That being said, LSU running back Stevan Ridley is a guy with reported stock drop. Ridley is a damn good back and I have a feeling that Mike Shanahan will be tempted to take him if he's still around in the sixth or seventh rounds. While I believe that the plethora of current running backs on the Redskins' roster is fine, we all know how Shanny gets with late-round runners.
With the 214th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select Dane Sanzenbacher from Ohio State University.
Other Possibilities: Stevan Ridley (RB, LSU)
Round 7, Pick 22 (Team's Seventh Selection)
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It seems like it has been forever that the Redskins fan base has been declaring that someone, anyone, help to upgrade the offensive line in Washington.
After drafting a potential starter at center in the fifth round, Shanahan and the Redskins could continue to build a solid draft class by addressing the offensive line again in the last round.
As mentioned before, the left side and center position appears to have a bright future, while the left side is a bit questionable. I do believe that Jammal Brown will be effective next season at right tackle, but that won't be forever and the right guard position needs an immediate upgrade.
I will also mention again that Mike Shanahan could revert back to selecting late-round running backs and I wouldn't count out a guy like Evan Royster from Penn State, Stevan Ridley from LSU or Bilal Powell from Louisville.
Sticking with the need on the line, the Redskins should be very happy to see Stanford tackle Derek Hall in the seventh round. Hall is a very good blocker (both pass and run) and he has a great combination of using his hands and feet to gain leverage. Hall has the speed and versatility to get to the second level and Shanahan will love his game knowledge. According to scouting reports, Hall is a very solid right tackle prospect but could actually start at right guard before taking the jump.
With the 225th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select Derek Hall from Stanford University.
OIther Possibilities: Jarriel King (OL, South Carolina), Evan Royster (RB, PSU), Jeff Maehl (WR, Oregon) in the case that they don't select Sanzenbacher, or Andrew Jackson (G, Fresno State)
Round 7, Pick 52 (Team's Eighth Selection)
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This pick is a compensatory pick for the Redskins, and it could be worth something if they play their cards right. So far, the offensive line has been addressed twice, the defensive front seven has been addressed twice and the secondary has been given a hand.
But because the defense ranked almost dead last in 2010, I'd say they need as much help as they can get. Of course with the second to last pick in the NFL draft, teams don't expect immediate contributions, but the Redskins could be in for a treat.
The linebacking corps, even with guys like Fletcher, Orakpo and the newly acquired Quinn, is in need of some depth. Like Bruce Miller, Chris White is a high-motor workaholic with a natural nose for the football and feel for the game. While it's hard to tell how effective White will be in coverage, there's no doubting his quickness or relentlessness once he's in pursuit.
If Shanahan doesn't go with a receiver before this pick and Tori Gurley from South Carolina is available, he may see some value in taking a big target for his new signal-caller to build with.
With the 256th pick in the 2011 NFL draft, the Washington Redskins select Chris White from Mississippi State University.
Other Possibilities: Tori Gurley (WR, South Carolina), Keith Williams (G, Nebraska), Steven Friday (DE, Virginia Tech)
Shae Cronin is a Redskins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and the founder of Bet Big DC.com, a sports website focusing on the D.C., Maryland and Virginia region. Be sure to check-in frequently and follow @BetBigDC on Twitter for the latest rumors, sports picks, mock drafts and more.
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