Six of the Redskins’ eight draft picks were offensive players. With the addition of this young draft class and the acquisition of wide receiver DeSean Jackson, the Redskins should have an explosive offense with plenty of weapons. Protecting quarterback Robert Griffin III and giving him as many targets as possible was clearly the top priority this offseason. Here’s who the Redskins selected:
2nd Round, 47th Overall – OLB Trent Murphy (Stanford)
3rd Round, 66th Overall – OT Morgan Moses (Virginia)
3rd Round, 78th Overall – OG Spencer Long (Nebraska)
4th Round, 102nd Overall – CB Bashaud Breeland (Clemson)
5th Round, 142nd Overall – WR Ryan Grant (Tulane)
6th Round, 186th Overall – RB Lache Seastrunk (Baylor)
7th Round, 217th Overall – TE Ted Bolser (Indiana)
7th Round, 228th Overall – K Zach Hocker (Arkansas)
Redskins 2014 Draft Grade: 7/10
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Redskins 2014 Draft
The Best Player: Outside linebacker Trent Murphy is just a bit smaller than Jared Allen, but he has the potential to become a dominant pass rusher as he develops. He’ll fit well as a pass rushing linebacker in the Redskins 3-4 defensive scheme, and he could potentially replace Brian Orakpo, who the Redskins recently franchise tagged. If he develops like the Redskins believe he will, he could turn into a steal.
The Best Value Pick: Offensive tackle Morgan Moses was definitely the best value pick, as many draft projections had him going in the first round. Despite sliding to the third round, the Redskins are still going to expect him to start immediately at right tackle. With Pro Bowler Trent Williams playing left tackle and Moses now at right tackle, Robert Griffin III should have plenty of time to maneuver.
The Head-Scratcher: While the Redskins made a fantastic selection with Morgan Moses, they followed it up 12 picks later with a huge reach. Guard Spencer Long was projected to be a seventh round pick, so taking him in the third round is certainly a head-scratcher. If the Redskins wanted to draft a guard here, they could have taken Gabe Jackson, who was drafted three picks later and would have been a much better value.
The Surprise Pick: While drafting Spencer Long was certainly surprising, taking wide receiver Ryan Grant in the fifth round was possibly even more surprising. Not only was it a bad value because Grant was projected to be a seventh round pick, the Redskins are loaded at wide receiver. With recent acquisition DeSean Jackson joining Pierre Garcon, Andre Roberts, Santana Moss, Leonard Hankerson, and Aldrick Robinson, I don’t see how Grant is going to fit in.
The Steal: Morgan Moses was a good value pick, but running back Lache Seastrunk was an absolute steal. Seastrunk thrived with Robert Griffin III at Baylor, and he was projected to be drafted in the fourth round. The only problem here is if he will get playing time. With Alfred Morris, Roy Helu, and Evan Royster clogging the depth chart, Seastrunk is going to have a tough time getting on the field.
Most Likely to Make an Impact in 2014: Morgan Moses will probably be the only player starting this season, so therefore he will make the largest impact. Even despite the lack of competition in this category, Moses should have no problem dominating at right tackle from the start.
Most Likely to be Cut: Kicker Zach Hocker might have a tough time making the roster. Teams rarely keep two kickers on the roster and kicker Kai Forbath won’t be easy to beat out. In his first two seasons with the Redskins, Forbath was 35/40 on field goal attempts, including a strong finish last season. Tight end Ted Bolser might also have a difficult time making the roster, considering the Redskins already have Jordan Reed, Logan Paulsen, and Niles Paul at the position.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Camp: Like I said before, Morgan Moses will probably be the only one to turn heads in training camp and earn himself a starting position. His only competition is right tackle Tyler Polumbus.
Bottom Line: I gave the Redskins a 7 because they certainly completed a tremendous offense, but they neglected a relatively weak defense. They didn’t bother to address the safety position and they reached badly on Spencer Long. Trent Murphy is talented, but he was a strange pick considering the Redskins already have Brian Orakpo and Ryan Kerrigan at his position. Ryan Grant, Ted Bolser, and Zach Hocker were interesting picks as well and they didn’t have a pick in the first round because of the Robert Griffin trade. That being said, they did add an extra third round pick after trading down with the Cowboys and Morgan Moses was a valuable pick who has the potential to become an immediate starter. Bashaud Breeland and Lache Seastrunk were both valuable picks as well, although they might not get much playing time this season. Their offense is now filled with depth, but the Redskins didn’t add much immediate talent.
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