The Washington Redskins, where is this team going? They are a team in turmoil. Consequently, how will they trickle down to the draft? Presently they currently do not have a general manager. So who will be the lead on draft day? Some reports have the Redskins are still using Scot McCloughan’s board. Who could he have targeted? His philosophy is usually best available. Here are some draft targets on my board for the Washington Redskins at 17.
Jabrill Peppers – S/LB Michigan
Peppers is a unique player. He can play high safety or can be put in the box to stop the run. However, for the NFL he may be a little on the small side to play “in the box” every down. The Washington Redskins need secondary help. Peppers could come in and start from day one.
Peppers is also a strong kick returner. This is something that the Redskins have not had for some time. They have not seen consistency at this position since Brian Mitchell.
Solomon Thomas – DE Stanford
Thomas may not be there at 17. Be that as it may, he needs to be on the target list of the Washington Redskins. Thomas is quickly making his way up the draft board. Thomas is a 6’3” 273lb D-End. He is considered a “tweener” by some scouts. He has great pursuit speed and can get into the backfield with ease.
The Redskins need a havoc wrecker on the defensive line. In order to maintain a competitiveness in the NFC East, they need to be able to force the action. This is something that the Redskins have not been able to do in many years. The defense has been their downfall. Above all Thomas is an immediate upgrade and is a position of need.
Tanoah Passagnon – DE Villanova
Passagnon is a talented “project.” He is 6’7” and 289 lbs. He is big and long. Passagnon was a very strong player for ‘Nova. He finished 6th in the FCS with 21.5 tackles for loss. He was tied for 5th nationally in the FCS with 11 sacks.
[Sean]
The Washington Redskins took a project player 3 years ago in Preston Smith. At this point, that turned out to be a pretty solid pick. In fact, he led all rookies in sacks in 2015 with 8. In the same way, the Redskins could take a chance on Tanoah Passagnon and improve a pass rush for years to come.
Donnel Pumphrey – RB San Diego State
Pumphrey is a multi-down back. He is a patient runner but very explosive once he finds it. Also, he is a great edge runner but also has the power to run between the tackles. Pumphrey is a player that the Redskins could target on day 2.
David Webb – QB California
Webb is a large QB with NFL intangibles. He is 6’5” and 229 lbs. As a result, Webb stands tall in the pocket and can make all the throws. For this reason, he is very accurate from the pocket and has great patience on crossing routes. Incidentally, this is something the Redskins like to run. Above all, he is very comfortable from the pocket. Finally, Davis Webb has a good clock in his head. Therefore, he does not take many sacks.
If the Washington Redskins cannot get a long-term deal done with QB Kirk Cousins a QB could be on the radar. They do not have another long-term QB on the roster at this time. As a result, a guy like Webb could sit behind Cousins for a year and then take over in 2018.
The Washington Redskins draft board is an interesting one. It needs to be defense heavy with a gathering of offense. Furthermore, if they take a QB in one of the first 3 days that may give you a hint on the Cousins outcome. Meanwhile, I would expect a day one defensive player.
Who would you like to see in burgundy and gold? Leave a comment below.
The 2017 NFL Draft is April 27-29. Stay tuned to INSC for continuous draft coverage.
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