National Football League

Washington Redskins 7-Round Mock Draft: Pre-Bowl Games Edition

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 9:50 p.m. ET

foxsports

Aug 19, 2016; Landover, MD, USA; Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan and head coach Jay Gruden talk before the game between the Washington Redskins and the New York Jets at FedEx Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

The Washington Redskins have seen their draft position change from 24 to 18 over the last couple of weeks. If they were to end up there, who could they take in the 2017 NFL Draft?

Over the past couple of weeks, the Washington Redskins have tapered off a bit. After a torrid two weeks coming out of the bye week, they have dropped a couple of contests. Some of their weaknesses have been exposed, but it is not too big of a deal. The NFL is one of the few leagues where one good offseason can propel you to being a contender. If they miss out on the playoffs, they will get a chance to build their team in the 2017 NFL Draft.

Want your voice heard? Join the Riggo's Rag team!

The Skins have their quarterback of the future, Kirk Cousins, and they will have a chance to improve the team around him. They have nine picks in the 2017 NFL Draft, so it seems likely that they will be active over the course of the draft. They could add some pieces that will really make them competitive in January.

To see what the Redskins might do, I ran a mock draft simulation using Fanspeak’s On The Clock Simulator. I made all of the Redskins picks, and these were the results I came up with.

Round 1, Pick 18 – LB Zach Cunningham, Vanderbilt

The Redskins could use another linebacker to solidify their middle of the field unit. Mason Foster has not quite been getting the job done as a starter, so the team could look to replace him. Su’a Cravens could be a candidate, but I think that the team would like to use him in more of a super-sub role. For that reason, the team could take a look at Zach Cunningham in the first round.

Cunningham has been a big time playmaker for the Commodores this season and has posted a ridiculous 119 tackles on the season. He has excellent instincts and really has a nose for the football. Cunningham has also been able to burst into the backfield on numerous occasions, and has posted 30.5 tackles for loss over the past couple of seasons. That is an insanely high number for a middle linebacker.

Right away, Cunningham could take over as a starter in place of Foster, and that would immediately upgrade the team’s run defense. He also has good enough coverage ability that he would never be a liability. His upside is too big, as he is a playmaker. He, Cravens, and Will Compton would make the Redskins middle linebackers a pretty strong group.

Round 2, Pick 18 – CB Tre’Davious White, LSU

Coming into the 2016 season, many expected that Redskins cornerback Bashaud Breeland would put together an excellent season for the team. After all, he was extremely successful as the team’s top corner in his second season. With Josh Norman coming to town, his life was supposed to get easier and he was supposed to develop into one of the league’s best No. 2 cornerbacks.

More from Riggo's Rag

Well, that never materialized. Breeland has been burned in coverage on many occasions this season, and I think that the team should consider moving him to safety. That said, they can only do that if they add some more young talent at the cornerback position. Tre’Davious White would give them just that.

White has pretty much solidified himself as a second round prospect who could sneak into Day 1 with a solid offseason. He was a four year player at LSU, and he has been the epitome of consistency since joining the team. This past year was one of his best years in coverage, as he recorded a career high 13 pass defenses. He has strong abilities, and in a weaker cornerback class he would have been guaranteed to go higher.

If White joins the Redskins, he will be able to start right away. The team can play him across from Norman with Breeland occupying one of the safety positions. That would greatly improve their overall defense and make their secondary a major strength.

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes offensive lineman Pat Elflein (65) blocks during the second quarter against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won 30-27. Mandatory Credit: Joe Maiorana-USA TODAY Sports

Round 3, Pick 18 – G/C Pat Elflein, Ohio State

The Redskins have gotten some excellent performances out of their offensive line this season. They have an extremely strong unit, but they definitely have a weakness. Left guard Shawn Lauvao has been below average for most of the season, and the team may want to look into moving on from him. The team has some young talent, but adding another lineman would make a lot of sense.

In the third round, the team can do just that as Pat Elflein is on the board. Elflein is a versatile interior lineman who can play both the center and the guard positions. The Redskins have showed a willingness to take versatile linemen in the middle rounds of the draft, see Spencer Long in 2014, and Elflein would be a great option for them.

For the Redskins, Elflein would likely play the left guard position if he performed well in training camp. Odds are he would not beat out Long for the center position, given how strong Long has been this season. At the very least, he would be a quality backup.

The only concern with Elflein is his size. He is a 6-foot-3, 300 pound lineman. That may seem huge, but for an interior lineman, he could struggle to get leverage. For this reason, the team could pass on him. Still, I think that his versatility is too big of a pro for him to make it to the fourth round.

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes running back Curtis Samuel (4) celebrates after scoring the winning touchdown in the second overtime against the Michigan Wolverines at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 30-27 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Round 4, Pick 5 – WR Curtis Samuel, Ohio State

This pick could end up being a steal. Curtis Samuel is starting to rise up many draft boards, and many expect him to be a Day 2 selection. The speedy wide receiver/running back has been compared to Percy Harvin by many (per WalterFootball.com’s Charlie Campbell) and he is unlikely to last this long unless he does poorly in workouts. That said, Samuel could end up being a target of the Redskins in the early rounds of the draft.

The Redskins seem likely to part ways with DeSean Jackson in the offseason, so they could stand to add some talent at the receiver position. Samuel would give them a speed element that they would lose without Jackson. He could come in and be the first guy off of the bench, backing up Josh Doctson and Pierre Garcon on the outside. In some packages, he could replace Jamison Crowder in the slot.

Though Harvin never panned out as a prospect, Samuel really has a chance to do so. Jay Gruden and Sean McVay would figure out a way to utilize the young playmaker and really turn him into a weapon. Samuel would not fill a major need for the team, but if he is available the Redskins may try to take him. Scot McCloughan is always willing to take the best player available to improve his team.

Nov 26, 2016; Columbus, OH, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes punter Cameron Johnston (95) is tackled by Michigan Wolverines defensive end Chris Wormley (43) and safety Jordan Glasgow (29) after running on a fake punt at Ohio Stadium. Ohio State won the game 30-27 in double overtime. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports

Round 4, Pick 18 – DL Chris Wormley, Michigan

One word comes into mind when evaluating Chris Wormley. That is steady. Wormley has been a steady producer for the University of Michigan across the defensive line during his four year career. He has the strong work ethic and solid frame that he Washington evaluators look for in their prospects.

In the past couple of years, Wormley has totaled 12 sacks and 22 tackles for loss while being a leader up front for Michigan. He has great size and length at 6-foot-6, 302 pounds and he should be a quick and powerful weapon on the defensive line for the team.

If the Redskins were to select Wormley, there is a good chance that he could be an immediate starter. The team would have to keep Ziggy Hood at the nose tackle position, but Wormley could come in and occupy the right end position. He would be a big time upgrade over Ricky Jean-Francois, and that would give the Redskins a chance to compete in the trenches. This would be a low risk, high reward pick for the Redskins, so they should certainly pull the trigger on Wormley if he ends up being available.

Oct 7, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston College Eagles defensive back John Johnson (9) during the first quarter against Clemson at Alumni Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stew Milne-USA TODAY Sports

Round 5, Pick 11 – S John Johnson, Boston College

As mentioned earlier, the Redskins have not gotten the best performance from the safety position this season. They have dealt with a lot of injuries, but even still they could use a couple of upgrades. One player who could be available in the fifth round is John Johnson, and he could be a big time get for the team.

Johnson has had a great four years for the Boston College Eagles, and in the past two, he has totaled six interceptions. After moving to the safety position, he was able to be a ballhawk with solid tackling skills. This seems to be what the team looks for in their safeties, given that they had converted DeAngelo Hall to one this past offseason.

Johnson would likely be a top backup for the Redskins but he could be a starter down the line. The team has no long term answers at the position, so adding a player like Johnson would be a smart move at this juncture. The more they focus on defense in this draft, the better they may be.

Oct 29, 2016; Columbia, SC, USA; Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Joshua Dobbs (11) is brought down by South Carolina Gamecocks defensive lineman Darius English (5) and South Carolina Gamecocks defensive lineman Dante Sawyer (95) in the second half at Williams-Brice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Blake-USA TODAY Sports

Round 6, Pick 14 – OLB Darius English, South Carolina

Taking Darius English here would be classified as a high upside pick for the team. Despite solid numbers at South Carolina, English’s NFL future is murky. The edge rusher has a decent pass rushing skill set, and recorded nine sacks this season, but he lacks one key thing for the NFL: strength.

English has a 6-foot-6 frame, but he is only listed at 245 pounds by South Carolina. Schools often are optimistic in their measurements as well, so English could be even lighter than that. If that is the case, English could get thrown around by NFL offensive tackles. He will not be able to succeed if he is too light. He will have to pack on some extra muscle in the offseason in order to move up draft boards.

That said, the Redskins would be happy to land him here. They could use him as their fourth edge rusher and develop him. He has the tools, so perhaps getting into an NFL strength program could do enough to really push him to the next level. At the worst case, they could stash him on the practice squad and see if he becomes anything. If English makes it to this pick, the Redskins would have a tough time passing on him.

Round 6, Pick 18 – RB De’Veon Smith, Michigan

This is the only carryover pick from my November version of the Redskins 7-round mock. Here is my description of why they should pick him.

De’Veon Smith has emerged as a big time contributor at Michigan. The team has been great this season and part of that has been thanks to the performance of their running game.

Smith has produced a career high 5.2 yards per carry and has posted a career high 10 touchdowns. He has good size to be a rotational back and offers a bit of explosion as well. He has a future in the NFL, and the Redskins could be interested in adding him.

Robert Kelley has emerged as a lead back for the team, but they do not have a true backup. Matt Jones has been inactive for the past few weeks while Chris Thompson is better suited as a receiving back. Smith could come in and be the perfect complement for Kelley and afford the team another option as opposed to running Kelley 20-plus times every week. At this stage in the draft, adding a high upside player is important.

Next: OT Conor McDermott, UCLA

Oct 8, 2016; Tempe, AZ, USA; UCLA Bruins offensive lineman Conor McDermott against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Sun Devil Stadium. The Sun Devils defeated the Bruins 23-20. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Round 7, Pick 18 – OT Conor McDermott, UCLA

I would really love it if Conor McDermott was on the board at this point. The UCLA product has not been entirely terrific on the field, but he has enormous potential. He is 6-foot-9 and looks like a right tackle at the NFL level. The Redskins could be losing Ty Nsekhe to free agency, so adding a developmental talent like McDermott could be a good idea.

With the right coaching, McDermott could develop into a pretty strong starter for the team. He has the intangibles that one looks for in an offensive lineman. Since the team already has a couple of strong starting tackles, McDermott could sit behind them and learn and possibly become a swing tackle. He just has too much potential to pass up on at this point, and he should be the final pick for the team if he is still on the board.

This article originally appeared on