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For the Redskins, I'm going to just sort it out by player.
1.) OT Brandon Scherff- love the pick if he stays at OT, but it's a definite reach if they plan to move Scherff to guard. We bypassed the best player in the draft in Leonard Williams for Scherff, so I hope they plan to keep him where he is most valuable. He's a nasty guy who wants to go out there and hit guys, and when asked what he knew about the Redskins, he said "Hogs." Clearly, this is a guy you want in your trenches.
2.) LB/DE Preston Smith- at first I was disappointed with this pick, but after hearing so many people rave about Smith, I am changing my tune. He is very versatile, and will get a look in quite a few packages. He's also a guy who picks up the game very well, and will do whatever is asked of him.
3.) RB Matt Jones- I still think we reached here, but that was likely a byproduct of runningbacks coming off the board in the third round. Jones is a huge guy, and isn't afraid to hit the hole and keep going, nor is he afraid to hit someone as a blocker, which I think really appeals to the Redskins. However, he is limited to just running between the tackles, and some have said he has no vision for lanes whatsoever.
4.) WR Jamison Crowder- Crowder likely ends Andre Roberts' brief stay in Washington. Crowder is small, but plays much bigger than he is. He will be an immediate contributor as a return man and in the slot. He is a guy who can make things happen, and I am really excited to see how the Redskins plan to get him the ball.
4.) OG Arie Kouandijo- fell into the fourth round due to concerns surrounding his knees, but Kouandijo is very polished, having started most of his career at Alabama. Very big, strong guy, who I think will start for us sooner rather than later. With this pick and Scherff, it's clear we want to bring the Hogs back.
5.) ILB Martrell Speight- dominated JUCO before coming to Arkansas, and only started one year but led the SEC in tackles- loves to be physical and hit people. He is a project and will have to work on other parts of his game.
6.) SS Kyshean Jarrett- undersized for strong safety, but will be an immediate special teams contributor but will have to work his way into the defensive rotation.
6.) CB Tevin Mitchel- limited to only nickel back at Arkansas, Mitchel has good size and put on a good pro day. He is another player who is a project.
6.) WR Evan Spencer- some might say he was drafted because he is the brother of one of the Redskins scouts. He grades very high as a blocker, has good size and will be another player who makes an immediate impact on special teams.
7.) C Austin Reiter- solid center, and should be a good backup. I admittedly do not know much about him as far as his ceiling goes.
Overall, I think Scot McCloughan did a great job on his first draft. He said he would have at least 10 picks, and he worked trades to make that happen. It's clear he is focused on the trenches and winning the battle there, but also drafting college players who are proven, productive players. Guys who put their team first, want to put in the extra work and bring a couple dimensions to their game. Another important thing is drafting players who will perform well on special teams, because that's been an area where the Redskins have really struggled in recent years, amongst others.
Grade: B+
1.) OT Brandon Scherff- love the pick if he stays at OT, but it's a definite reach if they plan to move Scherff to guard. We bypassed the best player in the draft in Leonard Williams for Scherff, so I hope they plan to keep him where he is most valuable. He's a nasty guy who wants to go out there and hit guys, and when asked what he knew about the Redskins, he said "Hogs." Clearly, this is a guy you want in your trenches.
2.) LB/DE Preston Smith- at first I was disappointed with this pick, but after hearing so many people rave about Smith, I am changing my tune. He is very versatile, and will get a look in quite a few packages. He's also a guy who picks up the game very well, and will do whatever is asked of him.
3.) RB Matt Jones- I still think we reached here, but that was likely a byproduct of runningbacks coming off the board in the third round. Jones is a huge guy, and isn't afraid to hit the hole and keep going, nor is he afraid to hit someone as a blocker, which I think really appeals to the Redskins. However, he is limited to just running between the tackles, and some have said he has no vision for lanes whatsoever.
4.) WR Jamison Crowder- Crowder likely ends Andre Roberts' brief stay in Washington. Crowder is small, but plays much bigger than he is. He will be an immediate contributor as a return man and in the slot. He is a guy who can make things happen, and I am really excited to see how the Redskins plan to get him the ball.
4.) OG Arie Kouandijo- fell into the fourth round due to concerns surrounding his knees, but Kouandijo is very polished, having started most of his career at Alabama. Very big, strong guy, who I think will start for us sooner rather than later. With this pick and Scherff, it's clear we want to bring the Hogs back.
5.) ILB Martrell Speight- dominated JUCO before coming to Arkansas, and only started one year but led the SEC in tackles- loves to be physical and hit people. He is a project and will have to work on other parts of his game.
6.) SS Kyshean Jarrett- undersized for strong safety, but will be an immediate special teams contributor but will have to work his way into the defensive rotation.
6.) CB Tevin Mitchel- limited to only nickel back at Arkansas, Mitchel has good size and put on a good pro day. He is another player who is a project.
6.) WR Evan Spencer- some might say he was drafted because he is the brother of one of the Redskins scouts. He grades very high as a blocker, has good size and will be another player who makes an immediate impact on special teams.
7.) C Austin Reiter- solid center, and should be a good backup. I admittedly do not know much about him as far as his ceiling goes.
Overall, I think Scot McCloughan did a great job on his first draft. He said he would have at least 10 picks, and he worked trades to make that happen. It's clear he is focused on the trenches and winning the battle there, but also drafting college players who are proven, productive players. Guys who put their team first, want to put in the extra work and bring a couple dimensions to their game. Another important thing is drafting players who will perform well on special teams, because that's been an area where the Redskins have really struggled in recent years, amongst others.
Grade: B+
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