A Look Back At The Picks
The Burgundy and Gold Report's #BootsOnTheGroundTour began at the Senior Bowl and concluded at the 2019 NFL Draft. The up-close view of the process and prospects was a great way to kick off the offseason. A special thanks to Dana Sparkman for Live Tweeting all the sites and sounds during the Draft.
Skins Draft Selection
The Redskins had a strong Day 1 of the Draft when they added a franchise quarterback in Dwayne Haskins and upgraded their pass rushing deficiencies with Montez Sweat. See link below to read the Day 1-Burgundy and Gold Report article Adding Difference Makers
On Days 2&3 of the Draft, Washington addressed some of their biggest issues in the receiving game and offensive line while adding depth at key positions.
Washington also added additional draft picks by trading their 96th overall compensatory selection in the 3rd round to the Buffalo Bills and in return received a pair of 4th round selections (#112 and #131 overall)
Let's take a look at all the Day 2-3 selections.
3rd Round Selections
Terry McLaurin 6-0 208 lbs OSU WR
In Round 3, the Redskins kicked of the night by selecting OSU Terry McLaurin. The Ohio State receiver was one of the most underrated receivers in the draft and offers much needed speed to the receiving game.
Although McLaurin is billed as vertical a deep threat with track speed, he loves to lay the wood as a blocker in the run & pass game. He also boasts the ability as a special teams gunner. By selecting one of Dwayne Haskins’ go-to targets at Ohio State, the Redskins are setting McLaurin up for success.
4th Round Selections
Bryce Love 5-9 200 lbs Stanford RB
With the 10th pick in the 4th round, Redskins selected Bryce Love. The Stanford back was viewed as a 1st-2nd round prospect prior to an ACL tear in his final game. Love was a 2017 Heisman Trophy finalist, finishing that year with an astounding 2,118 rushing yards, 19 TD's and an 8.1 ypc average. The most impressive statistic, though, was Love’s 76 broken tackles in 2017.
2019 will most likely be a mulligan year for Love and spent on IR. PUP will also be an option, allowing Love to return at some point in the season. This could be viewed as a savvy move by Washington, considering Chris Thompson will be a free agent in 2020.
Wes Martin 6-3 311 lbs Indiana Univ
With the 29th selection in Round 4, the Redskins selected Indiana Guard Wes Martin. Although Martin wasn't much of a heralded prospect coming out of Indiana, he's shown flashes of dominance.
The Film shows Martin's ability to move laterally and excel in the run game as a pulling guard, which is an ability O-line Coach Bill Callahan covets. Martin was a team captain while at Indiana and impressed onlookers at the NFL Combine by benching 38 rep of 225 lbs.
The Indiana lineman actually walked away disappointed with his bench press performance, telling trainers that he put up 45 reps the day before. Martin's calling card is his brute strength and should challenge for the starting LG spot immediately.
5th Round Selections
Ross Pierschbacher 6-4 307 lbs G/C Alabama
Pierschbacher was selected 15th overall in the 5th Round and was named to the SEC All-Freshman Team as Alabama's starting Left Guard. He started every game during his time there and sets the record for most starts at Alabama. Pierschbacher moved to Center during his final year and made the Second team All-SEC.
The Alabama lineman has the versatility that coaches are looking for and should add valuable depth as a Guard and Center.
Cole Holcomb 6-1 235-OLB/ILB North Carolina
With their 2nd selection in the 5th round Washington selected Cole Holcomb. Although considered undersized for an OLB, Holcomb ran a 4.46 sec forty and posted an 11’ broad jump at North Carolina’s pro day (no combine invite). Most fans had no idea who the North Carolina linebacker even was.
Holcomb could be the coverage linebacker that Washington has lacked. He plays with a relentless motor and could just be scratching the surface as a defender. The linebacker registered 327 total tackles, 15.5 for a loss, 2.5 sacks and 4 FF. Challenging for a starting slot at ILB might be a stretch in year 1, but the ability & talent is there. Holcomb is a high-energy, special teams standout and should take the lead as special teams’ captain in a short time.
6th Round Selection
Kelvin Harmon 6-3 221 NC State WR
Redskins fans across social media were doing cartwheels when Harmon was available at the 33rd overall pick in the Sixth Round. Harmon could be Washington’s best value in the draft. The NC State receiver’s 4.6 forty time could be why he slipped. Harmon offers imposing size and soft hands as a possession receiver.
Per NC State coaches, Harmon is well versed in all elements of the route tree and has an effective double move. Harmon’s final two seasons at NC State were his best in which he registered 2,203 rec yards with 11 touchdowns and averaged 15.1 yards per reception for his career. Harmon is only the third receiver in NC State history to register back to back 1000 yard seasons, which hasn’t been done since Tory Holt.
Although Harmon fell to the 6th round, he should compete immediately with Josh Doctson and Cam Sims who’s coming off of IR for playing time.
2018 6th Round Supplemental Selection
Washington's ‘18 Supplemental selection Adonis Alexander has to be considered part of this year’s Draft haul. Although Alexander was used sparingly in 2018, registering only 4 tackles, his selection could be a move for the 2019 competition at cornerback. The 6-3 defensive back should be viewed as a CB/Safety tweener and was used in that role at Virginia Tech during his freshman year. Although coaches have not openly discussed using Alexander at safety, it should be an option considering the lack of depth.
With the Redskins passing on a safety in the draft, a transition is a viable option for Alexander, considering the log jam at cornerback.
Seventh Round Selections
Jimmy Moreland 5-10 179 lbs James Madison
Moreland was selected in the 7th Round at #227 overall. The feisty Cornerback is undersized, but shows a ton of tenacity. Moreland was a team captain, earning FCS First-Team All-American honors during his final year and registered 18 ints with 6 returned for touchdowns during his career. The Duke transfer should fight Danny Johnson for a roster spot.
Washington's Final Selection
Jordan Brailford 6-3 252 lbs OKlahoma St DE/OLB
With the 39th overall selection in Round 7, the Redskins doubled up on pass rusher by selecting Jordan Brailford The pass rusher was twice voted to the All Big 12 Team.
Per Oklahoma State Head Coach Mike Gundy..
“Brailford was a key factor in the various strategies. He comfortably switched locations on the field, appearing as a left defensive end, a middle linebacker and an outside linebacker. Brailford said he thrives in the unpredictable schemes.”
Brailford is viewed as tweener DE/OLB. He played as a three-technique with his hand in the dirt as well as a standup linebacker during his time at Ok State. His short arms are considered a drawback which some associate with his draft slide. Brailford’s 11 missed tackles in 2018 didn’t help his cause.
The Oklahoma State pass rusher did run an impressive 4.66 sec forty time and displays an effective spin move. Versus Kansas on 11/16/19 Brailford looked unblockable. Brailford's floor is as a practice squad addition, but should challenge for a final 53 man roster spot with the 4th spot virtually open as Cassanova McKinzy recovers from a pectoral injury.
Many have hailed Washington’s 2019 Draft as the most successful in decades. One thing is for sure, the Redskins believe in the the SEC pipeline, especially Alabama. They also made a concerted effort the select players with top level accolades as well as extensive college production. Only time will tell if the investments will pay off. With another round of team cuts on the horizon, the Redskins should still be in the market to add to the roster. For now, we move onto to OTA’s with Training Camp quickly approaching. If the pieces that were added to the puzzle fit, we could be in for an exciting season with a radically different looking offense.
By Adam Aniba