Washington Redskins: 2012 NFL Draft Plan

Last year was hard to watch defensively. No matter who the Redskins were playing, the newly implemented 3-4 defense looked disgustingly bad, as the team finished with the worst statistical defense in over 50 years.

Contrarily, the offense was not too bad. At least they were good enough to put points up on the board. Santana Moss had a great season, Anthony Armstrong and Ryan Torain came out of nowhere and despite the complete debacle of last season,Donovan McNabb and Rex Grossman were able to put up numbers.

To look at this optimistically, the defense has improved substantially. They are not great yet, but they are doing enough to keep their team in games. Ryan Kerrigan has proven himself as a starter in this league; additionally, Josh Wilson, Stephen Bowen and Barry Coefield all have contributed at some points of the season.

In the 2011 draft, Mike Shanahan and company made an emphasis on improving their defense. Ryan Kerrigan, Jarvis Jenkins, Brandyn Thompson, Markus White, DeJon Gomes and Chris Neild all were selected to fit the mold of a Jim Haslett defense. It is safe to say that it’s not the defense that makes the Redskins 3-5.

As a lifelong Redskins fan, we have witnessed some poor offenses, more specifically, poor quarterback play. The halfway point of the season has been reached, and this may be the worst offense I have ever seen. The offensive line is terrible, the running backs can’t get it going. Plus, Santana Moss and the receiving corps hasn’t lived up to expectations; It is really really bad to say the least.

So what Mike Shanahan (if he’s still the coach, stranger things have happened in Washington) needs to do is address the offense in this year’s draft. Not only do starting caliber players need to be selected immediately, but also players who can provide depth and develop distinguishable roles to make a team successful.  

While looking at the future of the team next year, only three offensive lineman (Trent Williams, Chris Chester and Jammal Brown), one running back (Roy Helu) and two receivers (Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson) are assured a spot. Not to mention, who knows what is going to happen with Fred Davis and Chris Cooley in the offseason.

Below you will find my inner-GM plan. Now the amount of the draft picks the Redskins will receive in compensation for the Jason Campbell, Albert Haynesworth and Donovan McNabb trades have yet to be determined, so you will find a breakdown of each round, and what I feel is the necessary steps in improving this football team.

1st Round: Draft a Quarterback

This is inevitable. No more trades for a veteran, no more “staking you reputation” on untalented quarterbacks, it’s time for the Skins to invest in a franchise player and they couldn’t have asked for a better crop of talent to do so.

As badly as the Redskins have looked over the past month, it is fair to say that the team will not be in position to draft Andrew Luck. No need to worry, Landry Jones, Matt Barkley and the underrated Robert Griffin III all have first round potential.

Landry Jones is an accurate thrower with plenty of starts under his belt at Oklahoma. Matt Barkley comes from USC, which is a breeding ground for NFL quarterbacks. He’s coming from a pro-style offense and is accurate too. Robert Griffin may have the biggest upside of the three. He’s a tremendous athlete as he is putting up gaudy numbers at Baylor.

I can only expect Redskins scouts are taking in-depth looks at all of these young quarterbacks, because one of them needs to be in uniform next year. As we are one and half years into the Mike Shanahan campaign; it certainly has had more downs than ups. The success of the future quarterback is his only hope if he wants to rebuild a once proud franchise.

2nd Round: Draft an Interior Lineman

The offensive line is awful. Trent Williams has been dinged up, and Kory Lichtensteiger tore his knee to shreds. Will Montgomery isn’t the long-term answer. Not to mention, Chris Chester has had a difficult time transitioning in his first year with the Redskins, and Jammal Brown has been inconsistent.

Top tier interior linemen are usually taken in the bottom of the first round and the early part of the second round. Lichtensteiger’s injury may leave his status as a starting left guard in question and Will Montgomery is best suited as a backup.

Grabbing the best available guard or center will put an emphasis on improving one of the team’s weakest links. Here are a few potential players to keep an eye on: David DeCastro (Stanford), Lucas Nix (Pittsburgh), Mike Brewster (Ohio State) and Peter Konz (Wisconsin)

3rd Round: Draft an Offensive Tackle

How many consecutive seasons have there been in which a starting offensive tackle gets injured? Then they have to bring in scrubs (Stephon Heyer, Jason Fabini, Shaun Locklear) and opposing defenses attack that weak spot.

I am aware that drafting a tackle in the third round is typically not ready to become a starter; however, this will provide something that the Skins have never had….depth. By drafting a high potential tackle, the team can have a “Plan B” option at that position, which could fix an ongoing problem.

Here are a few candidates to keep in mind: Levy Adcock (Oklahoma State), Andrew Datko (Florida State), Nate Potter (Boise State) and Zebrie Sanders (Florida State)

4th Round: Draft a Return Specialist

For the record, I love to root for a player like Brandon Banks. Unfortunately, he isn’t getting the job done this season. What put Brandon’s job in jeopardy during training camp is his inability to play any other position. If he continues to be unproductive, then the team needs to get a player with a similar skill set and can also contribute in other ways.

Good special teams play can set the tone of the game. When you have a struggling offense, you look for “sparks” that can put the momentum in your favor. If you haven’t noticed, the Skins need a “spark”.

Ryan Broyles out of Oklahoma may be a bit of a stretch, but with his knee injury, who knows how far he will slip. Here are some others to look at: Cliff Harris (Oregon), Ty Hilton (Florida International) and Brandon Boykin (Georgia)

5th Round: Draft a Defensive End

Stephen Bowen and Adam Carriker have been quality starters on the defensive line. Kedric Golston has been a dependable backup and training camp stud Jarvis Jenkins will return next season after suffering a torn ACL in the preseason. However, the more depth at this position, the better.

Defensive linemen in a 3-4 scheme take a beating, which is why you see them constantly rotate throughout the league. Additionally, Adam Carriker is set to become a free agent so the Redskins staff may look to get younger at this position as well.

Here are a couple potential prospects: Kheeston Randall (Texas) or Mike Daniels (Iowa)

6th Round: Draft a Bruising Running Back

Roy Helu had a breakout game last week. He’s a change of pace back who can also become a valued receiver out of the backfield. If he keeps it up, he’s going to solidify his position on the offense.

Other than that, Ryan Torain has been a disappointment excluding one game, and Tim Hightower suffered a major knee injury.

Roy Helu is the elusive running back, Tim Hightower is a dependable third down back and so they will need a bruising back that can get the tough yards, and can be used effectively around the goal line.

Shanahan has been able to find running backs wherever he goes. So here are some athletes to keep in mind: Montee Ball (Wisconsin), Davin Maggett (Maryland) Brandon Bolden (Mississippi) and Marc Tyler (USC)

7th Round: Draft an Inside Linebacker

I wish London Fletcher could play forever. Unfortunately, London’s contract is up at the end of the season and I hate to say this, but he deserves to play for a championship caliber team if he continues his career.

Rocky McIntosh is inconsistent, and second year player Perry Riley is not ready to become a starter yet. I am aware it is incredibly unrealistic to have the expectation that a 7^th round pick can transition into a starter, but he will add depth to the position as well as a special teamer.

Sorry, don’t have any potential selections for this one; draft analysts don’t go back that far yet.