What should you look for in the draft leading up to the Redskins’ third-round pick, the 69th overall selection?
First, look for the live chat we’ll be having right here tonight from 7:00 to 8:00. We can talk about what’s coming up and what the Redskins should do and, yes, we can talk about RG3 a bit should he turn out to be a popular subject.
OK, end of shameless plug. I think that most agree, Mike Shanahan’s possible smokescreen notwithstanding, that the Redskins biggest need going in is at right tackle. Certainly Shanahan and company can see that, too. But that does not necessarily mean that they will take one in the third.
If they are going to take a player there, they want to have someone who has a reasonable chance of becoming a starter or at least becoming a rock solid backup. If no tackle fits that description they need to look at a position of lesser need.
Ah, but only two offensive tackles, Matt Kalil and Riley Reiff, were taken in the first round when many mock drafts had four or even five going on the first night. Shouldn’t that mean that there should be plenty of quality tackles for the Redskins to choose from with the 69th pick?
Maybe. What you have to look for is a run on offensive tackles at some point during the second round. It is expected that players like Jonathan Martin and Cordy Glenn will go fairly early in the second round.
But if names like Bobby Massie, Jeff Allen, and Zebrie Sanders start to come off of the board, the chances of the Redskins being able to get an eventual Jammal Brown replacement in the third round will start to look dim. And if teams are reach for the likes of Donald Stephenson and Tom Crompton late in the third round, start to check your personal draft board for other positions because the Redskins aren’t going to take a fifth-round tackle in the third round.
In fact, a run on tackles could precipitate a trade up by the Redskins if they want a player badly enough to use one or both of their fourth-round picks to move up. If Massie and Sanders go off of the board in the earlier part of the second round, look for the possibility of the Redskins bundling some picks to move up and get their man.
If the tackles go early and the Redskins don’t move up, look for a cornerback to be the pick. That and wide receiver are the two deepest positions in the draft and since CB is a greater need that would seem to be the best bet.
Rich Tandler blogs about the Redskins at www.RealRedskins.com. You can reach him by email at RTandlerCSN@comcast.net and follow him on Twitter @Rich_Tandler.
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