Washington Redskins rookie WR depth chart impact

The Washington Redskins added a couple of very interesting players at the wide receiver position in the 2019 NFL Draft. How can they affect the depth chart?

The Washington Redskins have had a fun offseason, haven’t they?

They signed Landon Collins from their rival New York Giants after Big Blue decided not to franchise tag one of their star defensive players.

They also traded for Case Keenum, found out Reuben Foster would not face legal charges, brought Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie out of retirement, and signed Ereck Flowers in hopes of resurrecting his NFL career.

That was just before the NFL Draft.

The Redskins made a bold move, drafting quarterback Dwayne Haskins with the 15th overall pick and landing their quarterback of the future.

They then traded up in the first round again to take one of my personal favorite edge players in this class in Montez Sweat to replace Preston Smith, who bolted for Green Bay in free agency.

If you’re a Redskins fan, could this offseason have gone much better?

One key area the Redskins got better at in the NFL Draft was the wide receiver position, where they drafted Ohio State’s Terry McLaurin and North Carolina State’s Kelvin Harmon. If I told you a month ago the Redskins would get those two players along with Dwayne Haskins and Montez Sweat, you would have called me crazy.

If I told you they would land Kelvin Harmon in the sixth round, you probably would have logged off entirely.

Sometimes even dream scenarios aren’t better than reality and that’s the case with the Redskins’ draft class this year. It’s better than the most ridiculous mock draft could have dreamed up.

Specifically today I want to look at the wide receiver position and how their young picks affect the depth chart going forward. Let’s take a look at their pre-draft depth chart at this position:

WR1: Josh Doctson
WR2: Paul Richardson
WR3: Trey Quinn
WR4: Brian Quick

It’s no wonder the Redskins sought to upgrade this position in the 2019 Draft, and this year’s class was a good one to be patient and wait for prospects to fall into your lap. The Redskins put together a great draft strategy and it paid off.

Let’s take a look at the players they added and what these guys bring to the table.

Terry McLaurin, Ohio State

If there’s any receiver coming into the NFL with more leadership skills and intangibles than Terry McLaurin, I’ve yet to come across him.

McLaurin was a two-time captain while at Ohio State and has been part of the team since 2014 as a redshirt. Slowly but surely, McLaurin’s usage in the Ohio State offense grew and his productivity grew along with it. He went from playing in six games with zero catches in 2015 to catching 35 balls for 701 yards (20 YPC) and 11 touchdowns.

Efficient is a good way to put it.

McLaurin showed at the Senior Bowl his full arsenal of skills and looks like he can play a role inside or outside in an NFL offense. He has big-time speed and tracks the ball well downfield.

McLaurin is also going to be one of the best special teams players in this draft class. No kidding.

If Haskins has time to throw, McLaurin is going to be open. He’s too fast.

Kelvin Harmon, North Carolina State

Kelvin Harmon doesn’t have nearly the speed Terry McLaurin has, but he has extremely strong hands and wins at the catch point.

He had two straight years with over 1,000 yards receiving at NC State and hit a career high with seven touchdown catches in 2018.

Harmon wins with physicality and strength and he will have to make his living in the NFL beating zone coverages, working underneath and near the sideline, and winning contested catch situations.

Though he doesn’t have day two athletic traits, Harmon has the ability to be a very solid WR2 in the NFL and I was shocked to see him fall to the 6th round.

Updated Depth Chart

WR1: Josh Doctson
WR2: Paul Richardson
WR3: Terry McLaurin
WR4: Kelvin Harmon
WR5: Trey Quinn

If all of these guys stay healthy, this looks like a pretty darn good group for Dwayne Haskins to grow with. Maybe an undrafted player will emerge and give them even more depth, or maybe they will keep Brian Quick.

Haskins’ comfortability with McLaurin could propel him up this list by season’s end, especially if one of or both Josh Doctson and Paul Richardson struggle to stay on the field.