The Washington Redskins drafted themselves a very solid offensive lineman in Brandon Scherff Thursday, round one of the NFL Draft. Day two (rounds 2 and 3) begins Friday at 7pm EST. This is where Washington’s GM Scot McCloughan will make his mark and I’m really interested in seeing how he attacks the remainder of this draft.
Logic says the Redskins will go defense between the 2nd and 3rd rounds. But my gut says they’ll go offense at least with one of their picks Friday night. Below I’ll give my rankings of the top remaining prospects. Then we’ll take a look at who the Washington Redskins could and should draft in the 2nd-3rd rounds.
Best Available (* denotes off-field questions):
- *La’el Collins, OT, LSU
- *Randy Gregory, EDGE, Nebraska
- Owamagbe Odighizuwa, EDGE, UCLA
- Landon Collins, S, Alabama
- Eddie Goldman, DT, Florida State
- *Dorial Green-Beckham, WR, Missouri
- Eric Kendricks, ILB, UCLA
- Preston Smith, DE, Miss. State
- Eric Rowe, CB/S, Utah
- Eli Harold, EDGE, UVA
- Jake Fisher, OT, Oregon
- T.J. Clemmings, OT, Pittsburgh
- Ronald Darby, CB, Florida State
- Grady Jarrett, DT, Clemson
- Devin Smith, WR, Ohio State
- Benardrick McKinney, ILB, Mississippi State
- Tevin Coleman, RB, Indiana
- Carl Davis, DT, Iowa
- Jarvis Harrison, OG, Texas A&M
- Devin Funchess, WR, Michigan
- Quinten Rollins, CB/S, Miami (OH)
- Duke Johnson, RB, Miami
- T.J. Yeldon, RB, Alabama
- Denzel Perryman, ILB, Miami
- Hau’oli Kikaha, EDGE, Washington
- Donovan Smith, OT, Penn State
- Chris Conley, WR, Georgia
- Jaelen Strong, WR, Arizona State
- Bobby Richardson, DE, Indiana
- Jay Ajayi, RB, Boise State
- Mitch Morse, OG, Mizzou
- *Frank Clark, EDGE, Michigan
- Rob Havenstien, RT, Wisconsin
- Danielle Hunter, EDGE, LSU
- Maxx Williams, TE, Minnesota
- David Johnson, RB, Northern Iowa
- Sammie Coates, WR, Auburn
- Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, CB/S, Oregon
- *Josh Shaw, CB/S, USC
- Jaquiski Tartt, SS, Samford
Washington Redskins Rounds 2-3 Thoughts:
- First off, I think the Redskins should try to trade down with their second round pick. Depending on how far they go, Washington could pick up as high as a third round pick in return.
- Logic says the Redskins will go defense in round two. My gut says they go offense.
- La’el Collins would make a lot of sense for the Redskins, but with the uncertainty surrounding him off-the-field, I think they’ll holdout on targeting him. I think teams may need another day to field calls and try to get more information on his pending situation.
- I think Randy Gregory would be an awesome fit for the Washington Redskins. However, I’m not sure how they feel about him off-the-field. I know for a fact he has an A+ group of people advising him. But I think the Redskins could pass on Gregory.
- If the Redskins go defense here, I would look more so at Linebacker or secondary. Eric Kendricks would be a home-run pick as an inside linebacker. He’s excellent in coverage and has good instincts. Or the Redskins could look at a guys like Preston Smith, Owamagbe Odighizuwa or Eli Harold. I think Owamagbe’s injury history could be seriously alarming for the team. Preston Smith is a player I like. Eli Harold and the Redskins have mutual interest, but I’m not sure how high it is for the ‘Skins. I have heard that Washington likes Michigan EDGE rusher Frank Clark. However, his off-field concerns “scare the heck” out them, I’m told. Danielle Hunter could be an under-the-radar target.
- As for the Defensive Backs — I like Eric Rowe, Quinten Rollins or Ifo Ekpre-Olomu for the Redskins. They are all corners, but I think they could all play and excel at Free Safety.
- The Washington Redskins could and probably should look at a running back between rounds 2 and 3. My favorite of the bunch, for the Redskins, is Jay Ajayi. However, I’m not sure how his medical could affect his draft position. I have heard that the team likes Indiana RB Tevin Coleman.
- The Redskins could also opt to draft a receiver Friday night. I’ve heard they are high on Georgia WR Chris Conley. He wasn’t highly productive at Georgia — a run first team. However, he has great measurables and his film isn’t bad at all. Plus he’s as high of a character guy as you can find. I really like Michigan WR Devin Funchess. To me, he’s more fluid than Kelvin Benjamin and he can be a “fun-chess” piece for teams. I don’t care where you play him, his catching radius is insane and he will make plays. If Stefon Diggs falls to Day 3 of the draft, he could be on the radar.
- The Redskins could very well go offensive line again Day 2. I wouldn’t be shocked if they take another offensive tackle or guard. I think Wisconsin RT Rob Havenstein could end up being one of the best in this draft. Donovan Smith is another that could be on the radar. La’el Collins is one of my top-3 favorite players in this draft, but again, I’m not sure about his status. Then, of course, TJ Clemmings — who is a very long but raw Right Tackle.
Final Thoughts:
I’m not sure what the Redskins’ plan is at the Outside Linebacker position opposite Ryan Kerrigan, but we’ll probably find out Friday Night. I’m certain the Redskins will take an EDGE Rusher at some point. The questions are when and who? I don’t think they’ll go away from their approach. It’ll still be best player available on McCloughan’s board.
My gut says the Redskins could go offense in the second round. I think they’ll attempt to trade back. I don’t expect them to select La’el Collins, Landon Collins or Randy Gregory. But, as we found out Thursday night, you never know.
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