Just for kicks, I went through as many mock drafts as I could find to see the different positions NFL draft gurus are predicting the Washington Redskins will take with their 10th pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The list was actually pretty long. As usual, there are a lot of opinions out there but with the needs of the team being so long, this is no surprise.
The issue of what happens with quarterback Donovan McNabb will play a part in who the Redskins select in the first round as will needs for depth along both the offensive and defensive line. There is popular thinking that the wide receiver corps needs additions though I haven't thoroughly bought into that thinking... yet. The Redskins have some hard decisions to make.
Most Redskins fans already know that Mel Kiper, Jr. of ESPN believes that Auburn’s Cam Newton from Auburn University is the man for the job. He is not the only one who thinks so but he is one who people watch.
"I think [Redskins head coach Mike] Shanahan needs to address this position with a young quarterback”, Kiper said according to the Washington Post. “He went the veteran route with [quarterback Donovan] McNabb. It didn't work," Kiper said. "I think he needs to bring in -- as he did in Denver [where] he drafted [Jay] Cutler out of Vanderbilt -- to get a young quarterback that he can mold."
Newton ended the year with a 66.1% completion ratio. Strong points for him are his size (6’51/2”) and ability to run. In terms of a body of work from which to evaluate, there isn’t much on the Tiger because he only played one full season as a senior. But, with his size and raw talent, I can see why Kiper thinks Newton might work for the Redskins.
It would be strange if the Redskins took another quarterback from Auburn in the first round but it could happen. Hopefully, Newton would have a better career in the nation’s capital than now Oakland Raiders’ quarterback Jason Campbell, who former Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs picked in the first round of the 2005 draft.
WalterFootball.com has the University of Missouri's quarterback Blaine Gabbert as a good match for the Redskins at number 10, saying his is the best quarterback available and suggesting that he could fit into head coach Mike Shanahan's offense.
One of the problems with Gabbert according to some is his inaccuracy. The Missouri offense is “gimmicky,” he has a 63.4% completion ratio and he has reportedly not always been motivated enough to stay in shape. Maybe this would not be such a good fit. Redskins fans know how Shanahan feels about his players being in ‘football shape’.
He is another big guy – 6’5” - which is helpful but the Redskins do not need another player – especially in a high-profile position like quarterback - with any sort “issues.”
If it is true that he has somewhat of a bad attitude (one scout compared him to the Oakland Raiders former number one draft pick JaMarcus Russell), I would be surprised if Shanahan really wanted him. A strong arm and size are good but, as with the 'football shape' issue, we know how things go with players that have bad attitudes at Redskins Park.
Jake Locker of the University of Washington is another name in the mix for the Redskins at number 10. Matt Millen, of the NFL Network, thinks highly of Locker. He said the other day during a Senior Bowl pre-game show that Locker’s abilities are off the chart. Millen agrees with Mike Mayock (NFL Network) that he has amazing skills. At a 55.4% completion ratio, he is another one that needs to work on his accuracy but his rating is 124.2. Millen thinks he will measure well at the combine.
Like anything, opinion runs the gambit on this young man and, while Millen thinks he is raw enough that he would do well to be mentored for a year or two behind a veteran quarterback, others believe he is NFL-ready – perhaps the most ready in this year’s class.
A couple of mock draft groups have explored whether the University of Arkansas’ Ryan Mallett would be a good fit for the Redskins at number 10 but none have stuck with him that I can find. The Razorback looks more like a pro-style quarterback than Locker or Newton. His completion ratio, at 64.7% is comparable but at 6’6”, he is bigger than the other quarterbacks. At that size, you’d think he’d be hard to bring down. I love his rushing statistics: Mallett rushed 44 times this past year and logged -74 yards. Hmm.... He did make 4 rushing TD’s though, even with a -1.7 yards-per-attempt average.
I looked at 20 mock drafts and a few had the Redskins taking other positions besides quarterback. Footballsfuture.com has the Skins taking Julio Jones, a wide receiver from Alabama. At 6’4”, here would be the big wide out that many feel the Redskins need to round out their receiving corps and compliment standout receiver Santana Moss. Jones is considered to be a brave player, unafraid to get hit, who caught 78 passes for 1,133 yards and an average-per-catch of 14.5 yards and seven touchdowns. Being tall helps a lot as long as you concentrate on catching the ball and it is in this regard - the concentration - that some folks have concerns.
Another mock draft has the Redskins taking a much-needed defensive end and, in this case, it is Cameron Jordon out of the University of California. According to his college bio, the first-team All-Pac-10 player finished the season with 175 tackles (88 unassisted, 87 assisted), including 34 tackles for loss, and 16.5 sacks. He has one interception that he returned for three yards, five pass breakups, four forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries that he returned twice for touchdowns.
According to mockingthedraft.com, Jordan is ahead of many of the DE’s in this year’s draft class because he has so many powerful pass rush moves and because he is quick off of the snap. While these are great attributes, this group feels he isn’t particularly fast on stunts. If this is the case (I haven’t yet watched any game film on Jordan looking for this) this will give him trouble with the speed he finds once he gets to the pros.
The other defensive player I found being picked for the Redskins was OLB/DE Aldon Smith from the University of Missouri. What bothers me about the 6’5” Missouri Tiger is that he will be going into the NFL straight from his third year of college. Apparently a gifted athlete, the redshirt sophomore feels he can handle the pros. Obviously that doesn’t mean he can. Time will tell.
In all, I looked at 20 drafts. A lot of them predicted first a quarterback and then allowed a “but… if they don’t take him, they might take this guy.” These "but maybe's" were all either wide receivers or defensive linemen – the defensive positions especially a real need in Washington.
I did not see any mock drafts with offensive linemen predicted or suggested. The Redskins addressed this last year by selecting left tackle Trent Williams in the first round (4thoverall). It's a Catch-22 situation... there are so many other areas on the team needing help, I would suspect the O-line will not be addressed in the first round this year. By the same token, one of the reasons the team is hurting so badly on the line is because the offensive line positions have been so badly neglected in the draft in the last 10 years.
What's a team to do?
Even if Nate Solder (offensive tackle, University of Colorado) were still available at number 10, the Redskins already have their talented, young left tackle with Williams.
But since depth along the line has always been an issue, it would not make me mad if they went after someone like Michael Pouncey (guard/center, University of Florida) to compete with – and possibly win the job of center or right guard with the Redskins.
Not an offensive lineman but an interesting thought is A.J. Green (wide receiver, Georgia) who unfortunately will not still be around at number 10 (the Cincinnati Bengals could use him at #4). Having had to sit out of the first four games of the 2010 Georgia season because of a suspension, he drops down a notch in the “character guy” department. His forced hiatus was because he sold a jersey to a person in the NCAA classified as an “agent”. The infraction does not seem like a serious locker room problem… it’s only that he didn’t “think things through” according to Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. I don't think this is as bad as refusing to talk to a head coach, driving drunk or any other number of violations that have been known to be committed by Washington Redskins’ players.
As is the nature of the beast (the NFL beast), the mock drafts will likely change many times before the Big Day arrives. On the assumption that Mike Shanahan and Co. will have done their homework, let us hope that this April 28, they fulfill the head coach's mantra and select for "what's in the best interest of the organization."
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