National Football League

McCloughan hints at a draft trade if Leonard Williams slips

Published Apr. 27, 2015 3:17 p.m. ET

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On Monday, first year Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan revealed some very interesting tidbits bout the team's draft plans. Of course, this is the season of draft misinformation, so you will have to make the decision on whether or not McCloughan is simply creating misdirection.

At his press conference, McCloughan admitted that the team is unlikely to draft USC defensive lineman Leonard Williams if he falls to their pick at No. 5 overall. However, he did create an interesting scenario for if the draft is to play out this way.

“It might bring a trade more into play,” he said. “We do feel good about our defensive front.”

McCloughan's free agency plan lends credence to his statement. During free agency, he added defensive linemen Stephen Paea and Terrance Knighton. The Redskins plan to run a 3-4 base defense under new defensive coordinator Joe Barry, and Knighton and Paea are both expected to be starters as down linemen in that base defense. Last offseason, former general manager Bruce Allen added defensive lineman Jason Hatcher. Hatcher had a strong debut season with the Redskins, and he is expected to fill in as the final starter along the line. There is no room for Williams to step in and make an immediate impact in year one.

This doesn't mean that McCloughan will neglect the pass rush, however. After adding two defensive linemen and one of the top cornerbacks on the free agent market in Chris Culliver, fixing the pass defense is still of paramount concern to McCloughan.

“A pass rusher, that’s the most important thing,” he said. “They’re hard to find. We’re very lucky to have Ryan [Kerrigan] on the team, he’s one of those players, and hopefully not just in the first but throughout this draft we’ll add more pass rushers.”

If Williams does fall to No. 5 overall, the Redskins could trade back in the first round and target edge rushers Randy Gregory and Shane Ray. You can make an argument that both players belong in the top 10 based on talent alone, but off-field and injury concerns could cause them to tumble on draft day. There is also the possibility that they target edge rushers Alvin 'Bud' Dupree or Eli Harold after moving out of the No. 5 spot. Both players are seen as just a notch below the top edge rusher prospects, but they carry no off-field baggage or injury concerns.

Of course, an extra selection gained from a trade down, likely a second rounder, will also give the Redskins the option of bypassing an edge rusher on day one before targeting one on Friday.

Williams is seen by many as the top defensive prospect in the entire draft, and even if the Redskins don't select him, they can find a way to derive value if he tumbles down the board toward their pick on day one.

(h/t Pro Football Talk)

Photo Credit: Kirby Lee/USA TODAY Sports