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LIVE: Washington #Redskins head coach Jay Gruden's post-draft press conference. #HTTR https://t.co/3Drw38gqdN
— Washington Redskins (@Redskins) April 28, 2018
Draft board:
“We tried our best to stick to our board” - Jay Gruden pic.twitter.com/hNyH5wCGZl
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) April 28, 2018
Troy Apke:
Gruden says Apke is gonna be a big ST player, but is still getting better at safety. “The sky’s the limit.”
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) April 28, 2018
Gruden on Troy Apke: Not only as a safety but as a special teamer I think he will fit right in
— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) April 28, 2018
“I think he improved as the season went on, I think he’s a very good safety. He’s got great range. You’ve seen him fill in run support and I think he’s going to get better and better. I think the sky’s the limit for him as a player. You know, anybody who can run 4.3 – whatever it is, 4.32, I think it was? Short shuttle, I think he’s right around 4.0. He’s still learning the position. He takes good angles to the football and he’s not afraid. And he’s great on special teams, so it was a win-win not only as a safety but as a special teams player. I think he’ll fit right in.”
Tim Settle:
Gruden says they were very surprised that Tim Settle was available in the 5th round. They had him higher on their board.
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) April 28, 2018
“That’s what it boils down to, really. He was highly ranked on our board and he was still there and, you know, a lot of times you want to go by all the work you put in in the offseason. Scouts put a lot of work in. Kyle Smith did a great job and the rest of the scouts, so he’s another big body that can rush the passer a little bit and he’s really good against a run. So, I’ve said it before, you can never have too many big bodies. He’s a talented kid to add to the mix with the other guys that we have here. I think he’ll be good.”
Defensive Line depth:
“It’s important. It’s very, very important to have those big guys that can be interchangeable and not just be a one position, one-trick pony. Subbing guys in and out and keeping them fresh throughout the course of the football game, whether you dress five defensive lineman or sometimes six, a good, sound rotation is what you are looking for with big guys that are very talented that can multitask and do different things.”
Greg Stroman:
“Yeah, I think last year we did not have anybody that could back up Jamison [Crowder], really. DeAngelo Hall took some there at the very end and right now on our roster we really don’t have anybody that can catch a punt other than Jamison, so it was very important for us to address that. So with Greg and with Trey [Quinn], the last pick here, both of them have punt return experience, so that was good. And Greg is also a good corner.”
Punt returners:
Gruden says that both Trey Quinn and Greg Stroman returned punts in college and will provide depth there after #Redskins really only had Jamison Crowder who could line up there last year.
— Stephen Czarda (@SCzardaRedskins) April 28, 2018
Shaun Dion Hamilton:
Jay says Shaun Dion Hamilton is one of the smarter players he’s heard about.
— Craig Hoffman (@CraigHoffman) April 28, 2018
Draft class:
“We feel very good” about our 2018 draft class, Jay Gruden said. #redskins
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) April 28, 2018
Alabama connection:
Jay Gruden says it's just a coincidence the Redskins have drafted so many Alabama players over the last couple years.
— Jake Kring-Schreifels (@jakeks19) April 28, 2018
Jay Gruden: It’s a coincidence that we took players from Alabama. They do play at a high level and their defense stands out. We’re excited about these Alabama guys but we’re excited about everyone else too. #Redskins pic.twitter.com/eptG1nXCXi
— Lake Lewis Jr (@LakeLewis) April 28, 2018
On #Redskins taking so many Alabama guys, Jay Gruden said: “It’s just a coincidence really.”
— Kimberley A. Martin (@ByKimberleyA) April 28, 2018
Gruden on @AlabamaFTBL’s program: They play at such a high level consistently. They get the top recruits in high school, and for the most part, they translate to great pro players
Undrafted free agents:
Gruden said they’ll look to add undrafted receivers and DBs now with the draft over
— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) April 28, 2018
Defense!:
#Redskins coach Jay Gruden on the process of selecting 5 defensive players out of their 8 picks. pic.twitter.com/tm8SdGn9zn
— Kareem Copeland (@kareemcopeland) April 28, 2018