The Washington Redskins enter the 2018 NFL Draft with eight chances to improve their roster. WTOP's Rob Woodfork has some ideas about whom they should select with each pick.
WASHINGTON — The 2018 NFL Draft begins Thursday night, and the Washington Redskins need everything.
I know it sounds a tad hyperbolic to say that about a 7-9 team that narrowly missed the playoffs, but it’s true. Think the Redskins are set at QB? Alex Smith has three to four years here, tops. Like the cornerback depth? Surely you forgot Kendall Fuller is gone and Josh Norman is 30 years old. Good at tight end? Jordan Reed is injury-prone and Vernon Davis is 34 years old.
That said, some of the Redskins’ positional needs are more dire than others. They probably won’t burn their first-round pick on a QB since the demand is high and the best prospects are expected to be long gone by the time Washington’s 13th overall pick comes around.
So, here are the five players (in my order of value) the Redskins should select when they’re on the clock in Round 1, and whom they should target in the ensuing rounds.
1a. Vita Vea — DT, Washington
NFL general managers almost universally say they’ll take the best player available with their picks. Vea is probably the best player available outside the top 10 of the draft, demonstrating a rare combination of size and agility that reminds some of a young Haloti Ngata. If I’m Redskins GM Doug Williams (and ‘Skins fans should thank the sweet baby Jesus I’m not), I sprint to the stage to hand Roger Goodell a card with Vea’s name on it.
(Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images
1b. Da’Ron Payne — DT, Alabama
At Alabama, Payne played well with current Redskins defensive lineman Jonathan Allen and really made a name for himself after Allen left for Washington. If these two are reunited in Burgundy and Gold, it would represent an immediate upgrade to the league’s worst run defense — and anchor a strong defensive front for years to come. Vea is considered a true nose tackle and the better pass rusher, thus the slight edge over Payne.
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
1c. Minkah Fitzpatrick — DB, Alabama
Yes, another player from Alabama. Doug Williams says he thinks this draft is deep at the safety position, but this do-it-all defensive back could be too much of an impact player to resist. Fitzpatrick can play in the slot and at both safety spots, and has the leadership intangibles every team craves. Though DB isn’t the Redskins’ highest priority need, it’s hard to pass up on a prospect this good from a school that’s damn near an NFL team itself.
(AP Photo/David Goldman)
AP Photo/David Goldman
1d. Derrius Guice — RB, LSU
As high as I am on picking defense at 13, I can totally see the Redskins taking Guice here. He’s got a blend of speed, power and balance that makes him a great fit for coach Jay Gruden’s offense. However, he’s coming off an injury-plagued 2017 season at LSU, and though he played through those issues well, I think he’s a bit of a reach at 13 and a great value as a second-round pick.
(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
1e. Lamar Jackson — QB, Louisville
I have to throw Jackson in here for a couple reasons. First, because I think he’s been underrated throughout the draft process. Secondly, we are talking about the Redskins, here. It would be the most Redskins move ever for them to take Jackson — who has breathtaking athleticism but a slight frame and questions about his accuracy from the pocket — just six years removed from the failed RG3 experiment. While Jackson is probably closer to Michael Vick than Robert Griffin III, I’m banking on someone (like Dan Snyder) falling in love with that scintillating skill set and potential marketability enough to take him in the first round.
I mean, if the Patriots are interested that should tell you something.
(Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images
2nd round (44th overall): Billy Price — OL, Ohio State
There’s a chance Price could come off the board in the first round, but his NFL combine injury could make him a great value in Round 2. I know Doug Williams said he likes the Redskins’ depth at left guard, but Price has the kind of nasty streak you want from your offensive linemen and possesses the right blend of athleticism, strength and durability for the ‘Skins’ scheme. If he’s a Week 1 starter, it would be a huge coup for a Redskins’ O-line that would go from questionable in the middle to one of the deepest units on the team. Although, the ‘Skins would be thrilled if they can take Guice here rather than 13th overall.
(Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images)
Photo by Steven Branscombe/Getty Images
4th round (109th overall): Tim Settle — NT, Virginia Tech
Eat up, Redskins. Even if they take Payne or Vea 13th overall, the ‘Skins would be wise to load up on defensive linemen in a draft deep with D-line talent. Settle, a Manassas native who was a force at Virginia Tech in 2017, has the size and quickness to be a valuable complement to fellow Virginian Jonathan Allen. If Settle keeps his weight under control, he could be one of the steals of the 2018 draft.
(Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)
Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images
5th round (142nd overall): Brandon Facyson — CB, Virginia Tech
The ‘Skins love their Hokie DBs, having selected two (Kendall Fuller and Kyshoen Jarrett) in two of the last three drafts. Plus, ‘Skins DB coach Torrian Gray came from Blacksburg last year so he knows Facyson, who has all the physical tools to make it at the next level, well. His long injury history could make him a bit of a reach here, but he would still be a good choice with one of the Redskins’ later picks.
(Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images)
Photo by Michael Shroyer/Getty Images
5th round (163rd overall): Shaquem Griffin — LB, UCF
For reasons beyond his feel good story, Griffin would be a nice fit in Washington. Yes, he’s an undersized tweener. Yes, he’s missing his left hand. But he’s described as a poor man’s Su’a Cravens — you know, the former Redskins second round pick they just traded for pennies on the dollar. Even if he’s just a versatile piece they use in certain subpackages, Griffin’s speed and playmaking ability would be a welcome addition to a Redskins defense thirsty for both.
(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
6th round (205th overall): Colby Gossett — G, Appalachian State
Gossett was a durable and reliable player at Appalachian State and has the measurables to fit in at the next level. He’s a pretty raw prospect, but he should benefit from the expert tutelage of offensive line coach Bill Callahan.
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
7th round (231st overall): Poona Ford — DT, Texas
As Russell Wilson has taught us in recent years, letting a good football player fall in the draft because of his height is a mistake. Ford, like Wilson, is only 5-foot-11 inches tall, which makes him way shorter than any team would like their defensive linemen to be. But being “vertically challenged” didn’t stop Ford from blocking a kick at Texas or prevent him from being an all-conference selection in 2017. Though he’s better suited to play tackle in a 4-3 scheme, he’d be a fascinating prospect as a 3-4 end in the Redskins’ scheme.
(Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images
7th round (241st overall): Connor Jessop — QB, Shepherd
Yes, the Redskins already traded for a Virginia native to be their young understudy to veteran quarterbacks Alex Smith and Colt McCoy. But even if McLean native Kevin Hogan locks down the third-string gig, Jessop — a Broad Run High School alum and Division II star at relatively nearby Shepherd University — would be well worth stashing on the practice squad as a developmental prospect.
Jessop’s story is one of timing and opportunity, and coming to the Redskins now could provide him the right kind of both for a change. Smith is turning 34-years-old and the 31 year-old McCoy is entering the final year of his contract, so it certainly wouldn’t hurt the ‘Skins to spend a seventh-rounder on a local kid with the tools to become their next backup — or even the latest rags-to-riches QB fairy tale.
(WTOP/Noah Frank)
Rob Woodfork is WTOP's Senior Sports Content Producer, which includes duties as producer and host of the DC Sports Huddle, nightside sports anchor and sports columnist on WTOP.com.
