Start from the beginning: Detroit Lions
Previous Pick: Denver Broncos
13. Washington Redskins
-Trade Down*
Recent signings of Albert Haynesworth, Deangelo Hall, and Derrick Dockery leave the Redskins with very little cap space to work with. If you take the April Draft into account, Washington really has to be smart with their money. Then add in the Jason Taylor fiasco, and the Redskins are left with only 4 draft picks. This is a very likely scenario especially considering the depth this draft has to offer.
Washington has only a few holes to fill, and luckily none of them are gaping weaknesses: strong side linebacker, left defensive end, and right tackle are the 3 most immediate areas to address.
-Brian Cushing (OLB/USC)
- NFL.com
According to my understanding of the way Greg Blache’s defense works, he likes to have large defensive linemen to occupy the blockers. This way, his linebackers can blitz freely (on select plays). When Rocky McIntosh went down with an injury towards the end of last season, the defense lost its key pass rusher. Strong side linebacker Marcus Washington has been hampered with injuries (leading to his release). So the Redskins will take a good look at Cushing, who was a talented pass rusher at DE and OLB for Southern Cal.
-Andre Smith (OT/Alabama)
- NFL.com
Selecting Andre Smith here is an ideal situation for both parties. Smith seems ideally suited for the right side, where he can relieve Jon Jansen and the injury-plagued Stephon Heyer. By ignoring the offensive tackle position, Washing has allowed Chris Samuels and Jon Jansen to age without having reliable backups in place.
Andre Smith is a more than capable tackle who could fill in on the left side if needed. He was in the discussion for being the #1 pick prior to the combine. If he can whip himself into shape before his pro day, he might be able to reclaim some of his value back.
-Tyson Jackson (DE/LSU)
- NFL.com
Defensive coordinator Greg Blache loves big, versatile defensive linemen. He would add another to his list if his team selects 6’4, 295 lb Tyson Jackson of LSU. He isn’t much of a pass rusher, but he is extremely strong in the run game, and can play tackle or end. Jackson would be a sensible pick IF Washington can manage to swing a trade down a little bit. Generally speaking, linemen who aren’t great pash rushers aren’t selected in the top 15 picks of the draft. However, this selection would fill an area of need, but it doesn’t make much sense to me from a value standpoint. I believe the team could fill this spot later in the draft and draft a better player with the 13th pick (Knowshon Moreno perhaps?). Run stuffing defensive ends are a dime a dozen, unless they can split the double team as well (example: Richard Seymour).
Next on the clock: New Orleans Saints
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Wow, thanks so much, David! That is a tremendous compliment. The only reason I started blogging is because I love discussing football with people. I’ve never really had any great pretensions to be a writer so it means a lot to receive such a high compliment from someone who is actually a talented writer.
By the way, I don’t think you come across as overtly authoritative, at all. Your posts are well-researched and informative, and they never sound pedantic. The fact that you even offer several scenarios for each team’s selections in your mock draft makes the overall read resemble more of an open-ended conversation. That is no easy accomplishment. I wouldn’t change a thing about your writing style.
As for my reader base, it’s still in an up and down phase. I do make some effort to try to get my stuff out there, but I figure it will take a while before I achieve a steady flow of daily traffic. I’d certainly be honored to do a guest piece for you sometime. Do you have anything in particular you’d like me to write about? Thanks again for all of your support!
By the way, those Redskins always seem to undervalue the draft. I wouldn’t be surprised in the least to see them trade down at the last minute. That being said, I agree that Cushing would be a tremendous addition to their team.
Ghostwriter,
I happen to think Brian Cushing is one of the steals of the first round. Some teams may overlook him because his skillset is not as fine tuned as his peers. But his overall talent level and versatility are second to none. He is a complete football player.