With three weeks remaining until the 2014 NFL Draft, teams are busy putting the finishing touches on their draft boards by hosting players. Each team is allowed 30 out-of-town visits. So far, there are 14 confirmed pre-draft visits for the Washington Redskins.
It’s not uncommon for a team to draft a player without prior interaction or a pre-draft visit. The Redskins did that last year when they selected TE Jordan Reed in the third round. However, former Head Coach Mike Shanahan says he didn’t think Reed would fall that low in the draft.
On the contrary, Washington hosted guys like: David Amerson, Bacarri Rambo and Phillip Thomas weeks before the draft. All of those players ended up being drafted by the team.
So while you shouldn’t put too much stock into who visits the team prior to Draft Day. It certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. More importantly, I like to keep an eye on the positional groups. That tends to narrow down exactly what a team could target in the draft.
Of the 14 confirmed pre-draft visits that we have available at this time, Washington has or will host: two defensive backs, three pass rushers, two (big) wide receivers, four pass protectors, two running backs and an inside linebacker.
It appears that the Redskins are interested in improving their pass rush and pass protection. I wouldn’t be surprised if Washington grabs a bigger WR at some point. Not to mention, a RB who is a natural ball catcher could be an under-the-radar selection for the Washington Redskins later in the draft.
Confirmed Pre-Draft Visits:
- Wisconsin DB Dez Southward: Projected to go in the 5th-7th round — Southward is a physical safety who lacks range. He’ll likely be limited to being an in-the-box safety.
- North Carolina DB Tre Boston: Projected to go in the 5th-6th round — Boston is a rangy safety who made the transition from cornerback. Highly athletic. But is raw in every facet — especially upfield tackling.
- Oregon State DE Scott Crichton: Projected 2nd round player — Crichton is a high motor defensive linemen who just makes plays. He doesn’t have elite traits, but is a good technician and gets the job done. At 6ft 3, 273 lbs, he’s a bit of a tough fit in the 3-4. But with a one gap system, he could play the 5-tech position as a situational pass rusher.
- ASU RB Marion Grice: Projected to go in the 6th-7th round — Grice doesn’t have any elite traits, but he’s an excellent ball catcher. He makes good cuts and gets downhill quickly. Grice has upside as a power run scheme back. But his niche is catching the football.
- Indiana WR Cody Latimer: Projected to go in the 2nd-3rd round — Latimer is a big WR with great upside. He has very strong hands and is athletic. I think he’s ultimately a round 2 pick.
- BYU LB Kyle Van Noy: Projected 1st-2nd round player — I like Van Noy a lot. Highly athletic with a lot of range. He’d be great in space inside the 3-4 alignment.
- Louisville OLB Marcus Smith: Projected to go in the 2nd-3rd round — Smith would be a OLB and could provide insuarance behind Brian Orakpo. He’s a physical player with a good first step in his pass rush. He doesn’t have many rushing techniques, which has been Orakpo’s issue.
- Rutgers WR Brandon Coleman: Projected to go in the 4th-6th round — Big 6ft 6 WR who has deceptive speed. Coleman was a consistent deep threat at Rutgers. But has some inconsistent hands and doesn’t play to his size at times.
- Ohio State OL Jack Mewhort: Projected to go in the 2nd-3rd round — Mewhort is a blue collar player who prides himself on technique. He isn’t a great athlete which makes people believe he should play guard.
- Stanford OL Cameron Fleming: Projected to go in the 2nd-3rd round – Powerful drive blocker who sometimes loses balance. He’s quick, but not as agile as you’d like. Some think he’d be a better fit inside at guard.
- Boise State OLB DeMarcus Lawerence: Projected to go in the 2nd round — fluid athlete with good quickness. Doesn’t have great straight line speed. But plays with good tenacity.
- Virginia OT Morgan Moses: Projected to go in the 1st-2nd round — Moses has good size, strength and quickness. He’d be a good fit in a power scheme, while having enough athleticism to be a move blocker.
- Tennessee OT Antonio Richardson: Projected to go in the 2nd-3rd round — Richardson has a ton of upside. He’s a big guy who is athletic enough and would fit well in a power scheme. His issue is technique.
- WVU RB Charles Sims: Projected to go in the 4th-5th round — Natural ball catcher with some explosive traits. He tends to bounce runs outside instead of sinking and planting his foot upfield. He may be a glorified slot WR. Underrated pass blocker.
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