Washington Redskins: How Adonis Alexander impacts the depth chart
The Washington Redskins used a sixth-round supplemental draft selection to take Virginia Tech defensive back Adonis Alexander…
The Washington Redskins got a pretty nice value in the 2018 Supplemental Draft with their selection of Virginia Tech defensive back Adonis Alexander.
Alexander was selected by the Redskins in the sixth round of this year’s Supplemental draft, according to the NFL.
DB Adonis Alexander of Virginia Tech has been selected by the Washington Redskins in the 6th round of the @NFL Supplemental Draft
— Michael Signora (@NFLfootballinfo) July 11, 2018
Alexander didn’t show very well athletically at his pre-supplemental draft pro day workout with a 4.61-second 40-yard dash and nine bench press reps, but he had a respectable 35.5-inch vertical jump and 10’4″ broad jump.
He made an instant impact at Virginia Tech with four interceptions in his freshman season, and finished his sophomore season with another pair of interceptions.
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In an injury-shortened 2017, Alexander picked off just one pass.
NFL Mocks staff writer Shawn Spencer has a very good write-up of Alexander’s overall skill set in this full scouting report.
How does Alexander fit in with the Redskins?
The Redskins made a very bold move early in the 2018 offseason to trade for Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith, surrendering Kendall Fuller in the process.
Alexander is not the same type of player as Fuller, but he’s someone who can be a very valuable reserve in the defensive backfield and play a variety of roles.
Since Richard Sherman’s emergence, teams have been looking for similarly sized prospects who can attack the ball, and Alexander can do that. He’s not nearly as aggressive or instinctive as Sherman was early in his career, but that doesn’t mean he can’t develop that.
The player Alexander more appropriately replaces for the Redskins is perhaps 2016 second round pick Su’a Cravens.
The team spent all last year without Cravens, but Alexander is a possible matchup defender who can play in the box and line up against tight ends and play in space against backs, while also offering the versatility to play deep safety.
It’s likely he is immediately inserted as a third-string safety with the upside of becoming a key reserve and matchup player as a rookie.