NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay go 3 rounds for the Washington Football Team

We are 9 days away from the 2021 NFL Draft! Lying season is in full swing, and a lot of teams are linked to trading up, trading down, and every other option out there. Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay published their annual mock draft where they take turns making the picks for all 32 teams for 3 rounds.(Subscribe to ESPN+ here) They don’t have Washington selling out to move up in this draft.

Kiper gets the first crack at picking for the Washington Football Team and gives them a rising LB, Kentucky’s Jamin Davis. Linebacker is a big need going into this season and beyond. No one knows how the coaches and scouts have the LBs ranked in this year’s draft, but if they had Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah ranked above Davis, he went one pick before they were on the clock to the Miami Dolphins. JOK is still one of the most popular picks for Washington this week, but Jamin Davis continues to show up as a fantastic option. Zaven Collins is the other option at LB in the 1st round for Washington unless Micah Parsons drops.

Kiper also gets Washington’s 2nd round pick and repeats his pick from last week, taking Stanford QB Davis Mills. This is another player that continues to get linked to the WFT, and could be a solid long-term addition to the QB room. Todd McShay gets both of Washington’s 3rd round picks, and adds two more players for the offense. Cincinnati OT James Hudson gets the call first, and is someone that will need time before he’s ready to play. South Carolina WR Shi Smith is a polished speedster who joins an offense that is focused on getting faster.

The offense gets the rest of the 1st round picks this week. We have 3 trade ups for QBs, and one scenario where Washington gets Mac Jones at #19. The list has now grown to 5 offensive linemen for the 19th overall pick. Rashod Bateman holds the lone WT spot down again. And for the first time this offseason we have a RB appearing at #19 courtesy of NFL Network’s Peter Schrager. You can read all the rage about that pick here.

Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky

E$PN+(Kiper/McShay)

Round 1

Kiper’s pick: Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky

Washington has a great front four, but it could upgrade at middle linebacker. Davis has elite tape from the 2020 season, and he has some coverage ability, too.

Davis’ chances of being available here: 96.6%

Round 2

Kiper’s pick: Davis Mills, QB, Stanford

Here’s the sixth quarterback in the class. Mills is all over the place on teams’ boards, but he makes sense in Washington, which isn’t picking high enough to take one of the top five signal-callers. Mills played in only 14 games at Stanford, so there is some risk taking him any higher.

Round 3

McShay’s pick: James Hudson, OT, Cincinnati

Yet another Day 2 lineman who can play inside or outside, Hudson needs some development time. He’s a defensive-line convert who only has one full season as a starter under his belt.

McShay’s pick: Shi Smith, WR, South Carolina

The Washington offense needs more weapons, and Smith is a strong route runner with good speed and hands. He really impressed at the Senior Bowl and then ran a 4.33 in the 40-yard dash at his pro day.

USA Today(Davis)

Spectacular as this defense was in 2020 and could be in 2021, the WFT could use a difference-maker behind its fierce D-line. Davis’ 4.37 speed and 42-inch vertical hint at the damage he might do operating in conjunction with this pass rush.

Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

Walter Football(Campbell)

Washington could use some young talent for the middle of its defense.

Owusu-Koramoah (6-1, 215) has a shot at going in the opening night of the 2021 NFL Draft, but he is not the same caliber of prospect as Devin White, Roquan Smith or Patrick Willis. In 2020, Owusu-Koramoah had 61 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, three passes broken up and an interception. In 2019, he had 79 tackles with 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and four passes defended.

Owusu-Koramoah is a fast linebacker with cover skills, and some team sources have compared him to former Jaguar Telvin Smith. Like Smith, Owusu-Koramoah could weigh in the 215-220-pound range, which is closer to the size of a safety than a linebacker. Some teams won’t be as high on a linebacker who is underweight for the NFL.

Round 2: Kyle Trask, QB, Florida

Trask could be a good understudy and replacement for Ryan Fitzpatrick.

Trask completed 69 percent of his passes in 2020 for 4,283 yards with 43 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also picked up four rushing touchdowns. Trask had a fabulous season until his bowl game, but Florida was missing a ton of key players to draft prep and COVID-19. Scouts will likely give him a pass on that performance.

Along with good size and a strong arm, Trask (6-5, 239) has definite pocket-passing ability for the NFL. He is accurate in terms of impressive ball placement and makes good decisions. Trask has put on display some natural passing ability and touch throws while doing a phenomenal job of getting the ball to his playmaking receivers and tight end. Multiple team sources have compared Trask to Tampa Bay Buccaneers Super Bowl champion quarterback Brad Johnson. The big knock on Trask with team evaluators is that he is a statue in the pocket and does not offer the ability to make plays with his feet.

Florida’s offense improved in 2019 when Trask replaced Feleipe Franks. Trask could have beaten out Franks for the job a year earlier if it weren’t for an injury suffered in practice due to a hit from Jabari Zuniga. In 2019, Trask made good decisions as a passer and efficiently distributed the ball to his deep group of receivers. He completed 67 percent of his passes in 2019 for 2,941 yards with 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Trask improved during the course of the season, and as a senior, he showed progress and upside in his ability to speed up his process, get the ball out faster, and play with more confidence.

Round 3: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State

The Redskins could use more offensive tackle talent.

With a lot of NFL eyes on Bison quarterback Trey Lance in 2020, Radunz (6-6 298) could have been a riser if he had a full season. As it stands, Radunz has good tape protecting Lance in 2019 and was an effective edge blocker for North Dakota State. Radunz could stand to get stronger for the NFL.

Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford

Washington could use more cornerback talent.

Adebo (6-1, 190) is a big corner who has cover skills, a tremendous ability to play the ball, and good instincts. In 2018, Adebo recorded 64 tackles with 20 passes broken up and four interceptions. Against Northwestern in the 2019 season opener, he picked up where he left off in 2018, recording five tackles with two passes batted and an interception. However, he had an ugly game against Central Florida, getting roasted on some double moves. Adebo totaled 33 tackles with four interceptions and 10 passes broken up in 2019. The question for Adebo will be if he can handle speed receivers at the next level. He also is an aggressive corner and will have to learn to play with more discipline to avoid getting burned by double moves.

The Athletic(Brugler)

Washington has invested numerous first-round picks in the front seven and could do it again with a talent like Owusu-Koramoah. Whether he lines up over the slot or in a more traditional stack role, the Notre Dame product, who grew up just south of D.C., is a dynamic do-it-all defender.

Round 2: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

Round 3: Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami (Fla.)

Spencer Brown, OT, Northern Iowa

Round 4: Thomas Graham, CB, Oregon

Sports Illustrated(Vrentas)

Owusu-Koramoah played all over Notre Dame’s defense, lining up at linebacker, safety and even slot corner, displaying the versatility that is coveted in today’s NFL linebackers. He’d fill the void in Ron Rivera’s defense left by the departure of Kevin Pierre-Louis.

CBS Sports(Dajani)

Washington could go in a couple different directions with this pick, but Ron Rivera is a defensive-minded head coach who knows linebackers inside and out. He could be interested in Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, who would wear many different hats in his defensive scheme.

LA Times(Farmer)

Washington could use a versatile three-down linebacker and would move him all over the defense.

Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

CBS Sports(Wilson)

Washington doesn’t have many needs on the defensive side of the ball but bolstering the linebacker corps makes sense here, especially if Collins is available.

Round 2: Kellen Mond, QB, Texas A&M

Round 3: Jalen Mayfield, OL, Michigan

Brevin Jordan, TE, Miami

Round 4: D’Ante Smith, OT, ECU

Sportsnaut(Johnson)

Washington considers Rashod Bateman in this spot, but it can’t ignore a great opportunity. Zaven Collins is a 6-foot-4, 240-pound linebacker with unbelievable length and agility. He can drop back in coverage, using his wingspan and athleticism to disrupt passes. Meanwhile, his speed and size make him a sledgehammer when playing the run. He can be the final piece before the WFT boasts the best defense in the NFL.

Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

NFL.com(Casserly)

*Trade with the Minnesota Vikings for #14

Washington trades up to get its quarterback of the future. With Ryan Fitzpatrick already in place, Lance could be used in Year 1 in packages that take advantage of his running ability.

Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

Draft Wire(Easterling)

*Trade with the Minnesota Vikings for #14

With the New England Patriots lurking at No. 15, this is the spot where a quarterback-needy team will need to jump into if they want to land Jones. The Vikings could hold a bidding war between teams like Washington and Chicago, and assuming they wouldn’t want to help a division rival land a potential franchise quarterback, I’m betting Minnesota would prefer to deal with Washington unless the Bears grossly overpay.

Jones doesn’t have the top-end physical traits of the quarterbacks already off the board in this scenario, but he’s a high-floor passer who can be a productive starter at the next level, and that’s worth a top-15 pick these days.

The Draft Network(Sikkema)

TRADE: WAS trades No. 19 & No. 74 (3rd round) to MIN for No. 14

This is sort of like the Lance logic earlier in the draft. Do I believe that a team in the middle of the first round is going to give up a ton of draft capital to get into the top 10 for Jones? No, but Washington moving up just five spots from No. 19 to No. 14 to get him, now that I can believe. Washington pops in front of New England for Jones here, which is the motivating factor for the deal.

Round 2: Dillon Radunz, OT, North Dakota State

Round 3: Chazz Surratt, LB, North Carolina

Touchdown Wire(Farrar)

Is it time for Ryan Fitzpatrick to be the mentor for another Alabama quarterback, as he was for Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa in 2020? In this scenario, yes. The Football Team already has a dangerous defense that ranked third in Football Outsiders’ metrics in 2020, which makes you wonder how dangerous they could be with the right quarterback. Two years ago, this same team took a first-round gamble on a quarterback with mobility issues and a singular inability to get things done under pressure in Dwayne Haskins. That blew up in their faces because Haskins just didn’t get it, but Jones operates on a different level, mobility issues and all. Jones will require schematic specifics and above-average protection to do his thing, but he’s got the efficiency characteristics to do so — in the right situation.

Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

CBS Sports(Edwards)

Washington addresses a big need on its roster in the form of Darrisaw, who will start at left tackle to replace Trent Williams.

NFL.com(Davis)

Exactly what the doctor ordered for Washington. The addition of Darrisaw allows Morgan Moses to stay at right tackle.

Alijah Vera-Tucker, OT, USC

CBS Sports(Sullivan)

Instead of going all out and trading up for a quarterback, Washington continues to build a strong roster. Vera-Tucker can play tackle and guard and gives the organization some top-tier talent for the long haul with guard Brandon Scherff on the franchise tag for 2021.

Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

Yardbarker(Trachtman)

The offensive line is a major need for Washington, even after making some strides last season. Jenkins has emerged as a first-round prospect after a strong career at Oklahoma State and would be able to step in immediately.

Round 2: Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina

Curtis Samuel gives Washington a gadget player, but another deep threat to join Terry McLaurin could make this a dynamic offense. Brown had back-to-back 1,000 yard seasons at North Carolina, averaging better than 20 yards per catch.

Pro Football Network(Williamson)

This Washington offensive line looks like one player away from being one of the better units in the league. Teven Jenkins is versatile and can play tackle or guard. He brings nastiness and physicality to Washington’s front five.

Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama

CBS Sports(Trapasso)

Leatherwood is the offensive tackle prospect I think goes higher than everyone’s expecting. He’s big, long, experienced in the SEC and tested through the roof at his pro day. All that sounds like a etched-in-stone first-round prospect, doesn’t it?

Round 2: Andre Cisco, S, Syracuse

Jackson Carman, G/OT, Clemson

Walter Football

The Redskins have an elite defensive line. The offensive line is solid, but not at left tackle. There’s a huge hole there, which Washington could fill with this selection.

Jackson Carman has some great athletic ability for a 340-pound lineman. Some believe he’s a left tackle in the pros. He comes with some character issues, however.

Round 2: Jabril Cox, LB, LSU

The Redskins have an elite defensive line and talented secondary, but their linebacking corps must be upgraded.

Round 3: Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State

The Redskins need a better No. 3 receiving option than Cam Sims.

Tylan Wallace doesn’t have great size and speed, but he runs routes very well. He tore his ACL in October 2019.

Asante Samuel Jr., CB, Florida State

The Redskins signed William Jackson as an upgrade over Ronald Darby, but they could still use some cornerback help.

Asante Samuel Jr. is a small corner (5-10, 184), but he has great play-making ability.

Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

Pro Football Network(Hodgkinson)

The Washington Football Team is one of the key contenders to trade up and grab a quarterback in the NFL Draft. However, the price to jump up from No. 19 into the top 10 could rule them out of the race, especially if four quarterbacks go in the first four picks as they have in this 2021 4-Round NFL Mock Draft.

If they don’t trade up, the No. 19 overall pick is too rich for one of the “Tier 2” signal-callers like Davis Mills or Kellen Mond. They could address a major need at linebacker or offensive tackle here, but their likely targets are already gone.

Instead, they add a receiving threat to play alongside Terry McLaurin and Curtis Samuel in Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman. The former Gophers pass catcher has the hand skills, contested-catch ability, and exceptional route-running capability to be one of the best receivers to come out of this deep class of wide receivers.

With Ryan Fitzpatrick hurling bombs downfield to McLaurin and Bateman, Washington could have the makings of a contender in the NFC.

Round 2: Jabril Cox, LB, Louisiana State

Round 3: Davis Mills, QB, Stanford

Talanoa Hufanga, S, Southern California

Round 4: Adrian Ealy, OT, Oklahoma

Pro Football Focus(Palazzolo)

Wide receiver is less of a need in Washington after adding Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries to the mix this offseason, but Bateman is still an excellent fit within that receiving corps. Terry McLaurin can do it all as a big-play threat, and Bateman complements him nicely as a strong route-runner with catch-point skills and some of the slickest releases in the draft class.

Bateman has done it all, winning from all alignments, playing big at the catch point and forcing 36 missed tackles on 147 career receptions.

Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson

NFL.com(Schrager)

First-round running backs might be a dying breed, but I love this addition to Scott Turner’s offense. Etienne is electric between the tackles and in the open field as a ball carrier, but also adds value in the passing game. Washington still needs another playmaker or two on offense to be a threat in the NFC.