New Draft order Redskins Mock Draft Scenario

With the NFL releasing the official compensatory picks, the Redskins draft order is pretty much set. While the Redskins didn’t get any compensatory selections, this now gives us a more accurate projection of how the Redskins picks could shake out. Here is my latest mock draft simulation using On the Clock Premium. I only made one trade back adding the Chiefs 3rd and 5th round selections to move back to the 27th spot. For this simulation I used Matt Miller’s updated big board from Bleacher Report. You can follow along here!

27: R1P27 LB JARRAD DAVIS FLORIDA

-I’m not thrilled with the idea of Davis at 17, but in a trade back scenario I like the value the Redskins are getting here later in the round. Davis should be a plug and play ILB for the Redskins who is a 3-down player that can make an impact as a rookie. He should be really good in coverage at the next level and he can be a quality blitzer as well. His speed, and athleticism are impressive, as is his hitting ability. By all accounts he gets high marks for leadership and character and he is a perfect fit to be the heart and soul of this defense for years to come.

49: R2P17 S JUSTIN EVANS TEXAS A&M

-Evans is a two way safety who can play in any scheme. Some prefer him as more of a good cover strong safety capable of locking down tight ends, but he can also play free safety where the Redskins have the bigger need. Evans has solid size, really good speed and is a fearsome hitter. He plays with good instincts and really good cover skills. It’s a deep safety class, but Evans is definitely part of that 2nd-3rd round mix.

81: R3P17 WR JUJU SMITH-SCHUSTER USC

-Smith-Shuster is one of my favorite receivers in this class in this range, and I think he brings a lot to the table for the Redskins from a size/toughness perspective. If the Redskins lose Garcon in free agency that will be an area where they truly lack. Even if Garcon is brought back, Smith-Schuster is worth the selection here.

91: R3P27 TE JAKE BUTT MICHIGAN

-One benefit of extra selections is it could allow the Redskins to make a move like this. Butt was probably in the mix for a top 50 selection prior to tearing his ACL in Michigan’s bowl game this year, so the Redskins could land a top quality in-line TE to balance Jordan Reed out long term at a bit of a discount. Also, Butt’s injury isn’t as big of a factor for the Redskins as they have Niles Paul and Derek Carrier under contract for next year, as well as the fact that they could bring back Vernon Davis on a short contract. That will allow the Redskins the ability to put Butt on IR if need be and stash him for a year. This would set the Redskins up long term and allow them to grab a quality TE from this year’s deep class, without worrying about who they would replace on the roster.

114: R4P7 DL VINCENT TAYLOR OKLAHOMA STATE

-Taylor has a wide range of opinions on him, but early day 3 seems like a good value area for him. He’s a highly productive pass rushing defensive lineman, who is quick off the ball and plays with good power. He’s not consistent in the run game, and he’ll probably never be a star, but he can give a lot of good snaps rushing the passer.

124: R4P17 DL EDDIE VANDERDOES UCLA

-Vanderdoes balances Taylor pretty well, making them a nice 1-2 punch along the DL. Grabbing both of them together gives the Redskins a pair of young defensive linemen to build with going forward. Vanderdoes has an injury history, but at this point he’s well worth it.

154: R5P10 S LORENZO JEROME SAINT FRANCIS (PA)

-Safety and defensive line are the thinnest positions on the roster so doubling up at both makes sense. Jerome is a small school guy, but he was impressive enough to get a Senior Bowl invite. While at the Senior Bowl, Jerome flashed throughout the week and during the game. He’s got really nice speed, and shows a lot of promise in coverage. He offers good depth potential for the Redskins and he can play a significant role on special teams as well.

161: R5P17 OT JON HECK NORTH CAROLINA

-Heck is the son of former NFL LT Andy, who finished up his 12 year NFL career with the Redskins his last two years in 1999 and 2000. Jon doesn’t have Andy’s upside, but he had a fine college career and he was a 4 year starter at UNC at RT, and some believe he could be a better guard in a power scheme. While he’s probably not ever going to develop into a starter, Heck is an intriguing back-up T/G option, who offers solid depth.

170: R5P26 EDGE JOSH CARRAWAY TCU

-Carraway has really good speed off the edge, and has been pretty productive the last two years at TCU. He’s undersized, but fits well in 3-4, particularly a situational role where he won’t need to set the edge much vs the run.

201: R6P17 RB ELIJAH MCGUIRE UL LAFAYETTE

-While I’d typically like to address this position earlier, I still wanted to make sure I grabbed someone from this talented class. McGuire is an intriguing late round guy, because he’s got good, size, speed, acceleration and pretty decent hands, but he’s really raw as a runner. He’s not likely to challenge for a starting role any time soon, but with some development he could be a nice complementary runner.

209: R6P25 WR MACK HOLLINS NORTH CAROLINA

-Hollins projections are all over the place, but he’s an intriguing guy worth taking a late round shot on. It’s possible he gets drafted earlier due to the fact that he’s 6’4” with top notch speed, but he’s also pretty raw, which is why he could be on the board late. He’s not a guy I’d imagine that would contribute much as a rookie, but the upside is very real. If he can develop as a more consistent route runner and work on his hands, he could be a Martavis Bryant type of big play receiver.

Overall:

I think this is a good balanced draft approach for the Redskins. Defensively Davis and Evans should be day one starters, and big upgrades to build around. Taylor and Vanderdoes should give the Redskins a lot of productive snaps, and help the unit as a whole get younger. Jerome and Carraway offer some situational usage early in their careers and upside for development down the road.

Despite a heavy defensive focus the offense still adds a pair of weapons in Schuster-Smith and Butt (even if the latter might not play as a rookie), who could both be quality options by year 2. Behind that Heck, McGuire and Hollins offer nice depth, and some real potential in Hollins as well.

The drawbacks to this class is, it didn’t do anything to address the LG spot or upgrade the running back position to help make the team more balanced. Smith-Schuster is likely the only offensive player able to do much of anything as a rookie.

What do you think?