Washington Redskins starting to reveal 2019 NFL Draft plans

With free agency mostly in the rearview, the Washington Redskins have begun revealing their plans for the 2019 NFL Draft.

Recent comments made by Washington Redskins coaches and players help bring the team’s 2019 NFL Draft strategy into focus.

The early stages of mock draft mania require analysts, experts, and fans to take what little information is available and make wild guesses. As the draft nears, a team’s approach to the draft starts to become much clearer. Recent developments have shed some light on what the Redskins hope to accomplish in the upcoming draft.

It seems pretty clear at this point that Daniel Jones, the QB from Duke, will be selected in the first round by the Redskins with the 15th pick. There has been a lot of speculation that this was where the ‘Skins were going with their first pick.

Jones’ pro day sealed the deal here. He looked magnificent. The questions pertaining to his arm strength were answered as Jones, seemingly effortlessly, tossed 60-plus yard passes that landed in the hands of the receivers with the precision of a guided missile.

Jay Gruden kind of tipped his hand the other day when speaking with JP Finlay. Gruden stated emphatically that if the team takes a quarterback he will be expected to play immediately. Music to the ears of Redskins fans.

I believe Dwayne Haskins may end up being the best NFL QB of this year’s draft but he needs at least a year to watch and learn. For all his talent he is not capable of playing immediately. Kyler Murray may be able to take the field as a rookie but his sandlot style of play won’t appeal to Washington’s talent evaluators.

Drew Lock has the arm everyone would love to see in a Redskins uniform. I can’t remember the last time we had a QB with that kind of a cannon. But, as impressive as he is, he does struggle with accuracy at times. Maybe time will help him refine this part of his game but that is not consistent with Gruden’s comment regarding drafting a QB that can play immediately.

There is only one quarterback in this draft that fits that description.

Any doubts that the Redskins were going to take a QB in round one were put to rest last week when Colt McCoy was seen still wearing a cast on his leg and using crutches to hobble around.

Jones will be taken in the first round with the 15th pick. Personally, I’m going to be thrilled with that pick as I think it sends exactly the right message to the fans, and more importantly, the other players.

I love that Gruden remarked that he “Can’t tell Ryan Kerrigan that we’re taking players to build around.” And that, “Landon Collins didn’t come here thinking about 2034, these guys want to win the Super Bowl this year.”

31 teams fall short every year but winning the Super Bowl, however delusional, should be the goal every year. Drafting a quarterback with the first pick sends a message this team needs to hear.

In round two I have consistently mocked an offensive lineman to the ‘Skins and I’m not wavering from my belief that this draft must yield a plug and play LG. That spot have been broken for too long and has to be fixed.

In round two a player like Chris Lindstrom, Dalton Risner, or even Cody Ford could be available. If they wait until the third round to address the position they’ll be settling for a player that won’t be able to step in and give them the upgrade they need from day one.

I was encouraged to hear Gruden discussing his desire to give Samaje Perine a real opportunity to back up Guice and Peterson. He admitted that Perine never got a fair chance to show what he could do.

Aside from being a fan of Perine I think the coaches thoughts regarding keeping a power back on the roster in addition to Peterson and Guice bodes well for those of us that desperately want Washington to use their second round pick on an O-lineman.

I was also encouraged to hear Gruden speak so highly of both Cam Sims and Robert Davis. It’s easy to forget how much praise each of them garnered last preseason from coaches and fans alike.

Assuming those performances weren’t flukes I could easily see Sims and Roberts relegating Josh Doctson and Paul Richardson to backup roles where they belong. The slot position remains a concern, however.

I like Trey Quinn and had him mocked to the Redskins last year in the 7th round. Late round picks need to have some intriguing intangibles. Quinn pitching a no hitter in the Little League World Series sold me on the guy. He’s a winner.

Although he has struggled to stay healthy and with Jamison Crowder and Maurice Harris no longer with the team our first third round pick, (#76 overall), should find some choice slot receivers still available. One constant I have seen when running simulations is that either Andy Isabella or Deebo Samuel, sometimes both, are still on the board in the middle of the third.

I think Redskins fans would be thrilled with either one of them.

If Washington can go into day three of the draft having addressed the quarterback, LG, and WR positions, I would be ecstatic. And although the Skins don’t have a 4th round pick they do have two 5ths, a 6th, and two 7ths. Washington has excelled in the later rounds of the draft in recent years.

In fact, they are one of only two teams in the entire league to retain all of their draft picks over the past two years. Considering they have drafted 18 players during that time and they are all currently on the roster demonstrates a knowledgeable scouting and personnel team.

In an interview with Finlay recently, Bruce Allen came as close to admitting that he is not calling the shots as he has ever come in the past. But when Allen states that he thinks, “Kyle Smith, (VP of Scouting), and Doug Williams, (VP of Personnel), have done a great job building the team,” he is essentially admitting that his role with the organization has evolved into something other than deciding who to select in the draft.

Regardless, the Redskins’ track record in the draft recently has been stellar. With five picks on day three I expect them to find some excellent players that can provide some depth off the edge, although that might come at the end of round three with the likes of Chase Winovich and Christian Miller still available, ILB, TE, and the secondary.

This year’s draft is flush with depth level talent in the later rounds. It wouldn’t surprise me at all to see them grab a couple safeties late and maybe double dip at the WR position.

Receivers like West Virginia’s Gary Jennings, Buffalo’s Anthony Johnson, and UC Davis standout Keelan Doss are consistently being mocked as 6th and 7th rounders. That would go a long way in bolstering a receiving corps that I still maintain is brimming with potential.

The number of enticing safeties in this draft that look to remain on the board into the late rounds is even more impressive. This group is so solid that using both 7th rounders on safeties would be justifiable. Kentucky’s Darius West, Temple’s Delvin Randall, Ugo Amadi out of Oregon (I love that guy), and Colorado’s Evan Worthington are all names that almost every simulation has as brings undrafted into the 7th round.

The two 5th rounders could very well put a cherry on top of this sundae if the Redskins’ war room could wrangle an ILB, maybe a TJ Edwards and a TE, Tommy Sweeney or Alize Mack, we could come out of the draft looking a whole lot sweeter than a lot of people are thus far predicting.

The fact is, this team is just one more prolific draft away from being a very good football team. At some point the injury bug has to give the Redskins a reprieve. If the team can stay healthier this year, another strong draft will have the Redskins right in the thick of things at the end of the season.