Ron Rivera/Martin Mayhew Presser: “We’re going to listen to our board”

Rivera said each of the players Washington took tonight are the right character fit for the team. They have position flexibility as well, which everyone knows is a valued trait for Rivera.

— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) May 1, 2021

Props to @PeteHaileyNBCS
for inquiring about the origin of Ron Rivera's love for position flex.

Rivera said it started when he was the defensive coordinator under Norv Turner in San Diego in the late 2000s.

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

Rivera's love for position flexibility goes back to his days coaching for Norv Turner with the Chargers. They had two guards go down during one game and had to put in a rookie tackle who hadn't played guard since college. That helped him appreciate having players with versatility

— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) May 1, 2021

Martin Mayhew on why Washington skipped QB tonight. They set their board and stayed with it.

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) May 1, 2021

"We're in play for everything" - @MartinMayhew35

"We're going to listen to our board." on Saturday and specifically QB.

— Chris Russell AKA The Rooster (@Russellmania621) May 1, 2021

Martin Mayhew - "We feel like the QBs we have are good football players."

They werent drafting a QB guys. they legit like Fitz for 2021

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 1, 2021

Ron Rivera on @WashingtonNFL's draft class so far:

"We really feel strong and confident with the guys that we've taken."

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

"We really feel strongly about all of the guys we've taken so far" - GM Martin Mayhew

I'd imagine many @WashingtonNFL fans feel the same way

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

Rivera said Dyami Brown's performance in contested balls really stood out to him. He likes the way Brown competes for the ball in the air.

— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) May 1, 2021

Ron Rivera said one of his favorite things about WR Dyami Brown is his ability to win contested catches. He cited a stat that said Brown won about 90 percent of those at UNC.

— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) May 1, 2021

Ron Rivera on Sam Cosmi: "We're going to put him out at left tackle and see how he does. ... We're going to give him a chance to compete and see how it goes."

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) May 1, 2021

Ron Rivera sounds very happy to land Sam Cosmi: "Offensive tackle is such a hard position to find, especially guys who played well at that spot."

— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) May 1, 2021

Martin Mayhew said @WashingtonNFL looked at some wide receivers in the second round, but it really felt good about tackle Samuel Cosmi. Rivera said it's hard to find quality tackles, especially on the left side, so it wanted to lock down Cosmi.

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

St-Juste did a really good job at the Senior Bowl, which caught Mayhew's eye. He untilizes his length and size at the LOS, and the defensive coaches are very excited about having him.

— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) May 1, 2021

Ron Rivera just added that St-Juste has a skillset and a body type to have position flex.

St-Juste played some free safety at the Senior Bowl after playing cornerback in college. https://t.co/tJBKwaBa6U

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

Rivera has used "position flex" for Ben St-Juste, but that doesn't apply to him playing nickel because of his size. He said St-Juste could play free safety because of his skill set. He likes St-Juste's aggressiveness on the outside at corner, too.

— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) May 1, 2021

Ron Rivera said they received several calls today from teams trying to move up. Said one team later told them they wanted to move up and get Benjamin St-Juste, who Washington took at no. 74.

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) May 1, 2021

Rivera said a team called them to trade up for No. 74, but Washington held off and picked St-Juste instead. The team immediately called back and said, "That was our guy," according to Rivera.

— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) May 1, 2021

Rivera said the team was very excited about landing the players they got. And that goes back to trusting the draft board. If they don't try to reach for players, the players they grade for those specific picks tend to fall to them.

— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) May 1, 2021

Rivera and Mayhew have spoken a lot about building through the draft. If you can build predominantly through the draft, Rivera said, you have the opportunity to keep your young talent together longer.

— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) May 1, 2021

Washington GM Martin Mayhew: "Those middle rounds, that's where your area guys and your scouts make their money. ... Our college scouts have done an outstanding job."

— Nicki Jhabvala (@NickiJhabvala) May 1, 2021

Rivera and Mayhew have praised the collaborative effort that Washington has implemented over the course of the draft. This has been the plan for the front office for months, and it's working exactly the way the team hoped.

— Zach Selby (@ZachDSelby) May 1, 2021

Ron Rivera said Jamin Davis was about as "natural a fit" as he's experienced with a player in some time in terms of connecting as people. Said they spoke over Zoom without anyone else.

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) May 1, 2021

St-Juste said that @WashingtonNFL was the only NFL franchise where he talked to the head coach, position coach and special teams coach. https://t.co/dEwYXMdkVz

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

Coaches asked St-Juste to play safety at the Senior Bowl and he was open to it. He says he thinks his versatility appealed to Washington. (Sense a theme here?) https://t.co/mKGCPStDzd

— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) May 1, 2021

DB Benjamin St-Juste said he will do whatever @WashingtonNFL needs him to do, whether that's corner, nickel or safety.

He noted that he played some safety at the Senior Bowl. He didn't train to be a safety, but some teams wanted to see him there.

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

Benjamin St-Juste said he couldn't return to Canada for the draft bc of COVID restrictions, so he watched the draft with his girlfriend's family in Athens, Ga. He said his family was on Zoom and actually heard the pick on TV before he got the phone call.

— Sam Fortier (@Sam4TR) May 1, 2021

While Washington made its interest in Jamin Davis and Sam Cosmi obvious, sounds like it played coy with Benjamin St-Juste. Dyami Brown said he only spoke with WFT once pre-draft.

— Ben Standig (@BenStandig) May 1, 2021

Third-round WR Dyami Brown said he only talked to @WashingtonNFL once during the pre-draft process, so he was a bit surprised that he was chosen considering all the teams he spoke to.

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

Dyami Brown said 'it's definitely a blessing' to get to join Terry McLaurin and the WR crew in Washington. Cant wait to join this offense

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 1, 2021

"I feel like I'm an all-around receiver that can do it all." - Dyami Brown

Ron Rivera and Scott Turner will like that

— Ryan Homler (@RHomler) May 1, 2021

Third-round WR Dyami Brown says "a whole lot of my game hasn't been shown over the past few years just because of how our offense was [at North Carolina]."

He believes he's an all-around WR, and he can't wait to showcase his skillset in Washington.

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

Dyami Brown says "i'm pretty comfortable with any spot on the field." Happy to line up inside or outside, and says there is more to his game than just speed.

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 1, 2021

Third-round WR Dyami Brown said he's pretty comfortable with every wide receiver spot on the field. He's mainly played the X position in the past.

— Kyle Stackpole (@kylefstackpole) May 1, 2021

Oh boy - Dyami Brown just said he thinks the speed of Washington's WRs can "compete" with the Chiefs and maybe even "be better." If ever there's a night for confidence and excitement, it's draft night

— JP Finlay (@JPFinlayNBCS) May 1, 2021