And there you have it! Scot McCloughan’s second draft as general manager of the Washington Redskins has come to a close, and boy was it interesting. Picks were traded, areas of need were assessed, and dreams came true. Let’s dissect the Redskins draft and see if they did enough to defend the NFC East crown this upcoming season.
First let’s take a look at Washington’s picks and trades:
Picks:
1st Round, 22nd Overall: WR Josh Doctson (TCU)
- Set TCU school record for TD receptions (34)
2nd Round, 53rd Overall: SS Su’a Cravens (USC)
- First Team All-Pac-12
3rd Round, 84th Overall: CB Kendall Fuller (Virginia Tech)
- ACC Defensive Rookie of the Year
- First Team All-ACC
5th Round, 152nd Overall: DT Matthew Ioannidis (Temple)
- First Team All-Conference
6th Round, 187th Overall: QB Nate Sudfeld (Indiana)
- Threw for 3,573 yards and 27 touchdowns in 2015
7th Round, 232nd Overall: ILB Steven Daniels (Boston College)
- First Team All-ACC
7th Round, 242nd Overall: RB Keith Marshall (Georgia)
- 68 carries for 350 yards and 3 touchdowns in 2015
- Recovering from a torn ACL suffered in 2013
Trades:
2016 4th round selection to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for 2016 & 2017 fifth round selection.
2016 5th round selection to the New York Jets in exchange for 2017 fourth round selection.
Washington Redskins 2016 Draft Grade: 9/10
Washington Redskins 2016 NFL Draft Review
The Best Player: Josh Doctson. Doctson was seen by many as the absolute best wide receiver coming out of this draft class. For the Redskins to snag him with the 22nd pick, especially seeing as though Pierre Garçon and Desean Jackson won’t be around forever, was incredible on the part of Washington. On Tuesday, McCloughan told the Washington Post “I thought he’d be gone! He was the best football player on the board.” This is a testament to Doctson’s raw talent & ability, quality personality and high ceiling. Doctson absolutely has the potential to be an elite threat in this league for many years to come.
The Head-Scratcher: Quarterback, Nate Sudfeld out of Indiana. I don’t think anybody saw this coming but, it kind of makes sense. With only Colt McCoy on the roster as a backup for Kirk Cousins, picking up another young quarterback to groom isn’t the wrong move, per se. Injuries happen, so to have a system guy that can step right in and take charge of the offense is a “need” for any team. This selection is still a ‘head scratcher’ though, seeing as Washington didn’t address the glaring offensive line issues, specifically at center.
The Surprise: Cornerback, Kendall Fuller out of Virginia Tech. With the recent release of cornerback Chris Culliver, things just got a little more interesting in Washington’s secondary. The defensive backs that have just been drafted may be seeing the field very early in their pro football career. Penciling in DeAngelo Hall & Duke Ihenacho (or possibly Su’a Cravens) at safety, and Josh Norman & Bashaud Breeland at the corner positions … there is still a spot(s) that’s up for grabs. Quinton Dunbar, Will Blackmon and Kendall Fuller will all get a crack at those remaining secondary slots. Fuller’s addition is still quite surprising though seeing that there were a few quality centers/guards available in the third round that could’ve impacted that offensive line immediately.
The Steal: Defensive Tackle, Matthew Ioannidis out of Temple. Washington’s run defense was among the worst in 2015 ranking 26th overall. Luckily for them, this year’s draft was extremely deep at the interior line position. Washington lost two big, veteran, bodies up front in Terrence Knighton and Jason Hatcher; so defensive line was quickly upgraded to a “need” this offseason. Ioannidis is a nasty, solid, trench warrior, who specializes in eating up double teams and forcing opposing teams to bounce the ball outside. Knocking out 32 reps on the bench press during the NFL Combine shows that Ioannidis is a brute force defensive tackle that could flourish in Washington’s 3-4 defensive scheme.
Most Likely to Turn Heads in Training Camp: Running Back, Keith Marshall out of Georgia. With Washington’s current situation at running back, fumbling Matt Jones, injury stricken Chris Thompson, Marshall definitely has the opportunity to compete for a big role in this Redskins offense. Although Marshall is trying to return to true form after tearing his ACL in 2013, he still ran the fastest 40 time in the NFL combine (4.31 seconds). Marshall still has to re-develop his comfort in making cuts and his vision between the tackles; if he does that, he will definitely stir up some rumblings down in Redskins Park.
The Rest: Inside Linebacker, Steven Daniels out of Boston College. At 5’11’’, 245lbs, Daniels definitely has the size to hold his own in the NFL. Not the most limber body at linebacker, but boy can he run downhill and stop the run. With 82 total tackles (16 of which were for a loss) and six sacks during his 2015 season, Daniels could definitely provide some rotational stability for the Redskins defense.
Strong Safety, Su’a Cravens out of USC. Cravens is a big hit player with big time potential. Rocking the number 21 jersey throughout his collegiate career, Cravens told Redskins.com “He’s definitely my all-time favorite safety, and those are big shoes to fill. So when I come into Washington, I’m ready to play and hopefully I can be half as good as that man.” Cravens has the intelligence, size, and skill to start for Washington in 2016, so modeling his game after the late Sean Taylor may not be such a bad idea. And oh, by the way, Cravens decided to go with number 36 to start off his NFL career … look familiar?
https://twitter.com/Sua_Cravens/status/726866637790547968
The Bottom Line: Washington drafted extremely well this year. In typical “Scot fashion”, he drafted the best available player in Josh Doctson. After that, he addressed just about every single need (except for offensive line). Washington was atop the NFC East in my Free Agency Rankings article released last month; what they did in this year’s draft did nothing but solidify or even improve their ranking. The true test, though, will come September 12 on Monday night when Washington opens up against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Stay tuned!
