Washington Redskins 2010 NFL Draft Grade

WASHINGTON

1.04 Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
I know Shanahan believes he can coach Williams to his full potential, and if he’s right then this was the right move, but I would have gone Okung 10 out of 10 times. Williams’ senior season was riddled with bad tape when he was asked to block the opponent’s best pass rushers for the first time. He just doesn’t seem to get it. I think the Redskins might have just drafted a right tackle at fourth overall. But again, the potential definitely there, and his athleticism makes him a dynamite fit on paper. GRADE: D

3ROUND GRADE: D

4.103 Perry Riley, LB, LSU
Riley has a lot of athleticism, like a lot of LSU linebackers. He’s rangy, tough, and really stepped up after the Tigers lost some big defensive players. If Washington sticks with the 3-4, he’s a high energy inside guy with good versatility. GRADE: B

6.174 Dennis Morris, FB, Louisiana Tech
Okay, so there were some decent fullbacks on the board, which is the first part of why I don’t understand this pick of a tight end whom they’ll convert. And secondly, when you only have six picks, and only one falls on the first two days of the draft, you don’t draft a fullback, you sign one. GRADE: D

7.219 Terrence Austin, WR, UCLA
Really Redskins… Have you seen your offensive line? Do you know that you have Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly as young up and coming receivers? I get the want for depth at WR, but again you only have so many picks. Austin won’t be more than a return man, and that’s not a luxury Washington could afford. GRADE: D+

7.229 Erik Cook, C, New Mexico
Cook might be the best pick of their draft so far. He’s within 30 of the last pick in the whole shebang, so the value makes sense, and he fills a huge need for interior depth. But he’s a project, even if he fits the system. GRADE: C

7.241 Selvish Capers, OT, West Virginia
Scratch that, this is Washington’s best pick. It may take him longer, but Capers has the potential to be better than Williams. He stayed on the right side throughout college, and he’s a project, but he’s upside is off the charts in the ZBS. GRADE: B

Best Pick: Selvish Capers
Worst Pick: Trent Williams
Sleeper Pick: Selvish Capers

FINAL ANALYSIS
The Redskins made no secret of their draft plans when they traded for Donovan McNabb. With QB settled, it would be offensive line for coach Shanahan. And I’ll take the McNabb trade into account with the final grade, but I’m not very high on him, even if he is an upgrade. But trading for him and using their third-rounder in the supplemental draft on Jeremy Jarmon really crippled this team’s draft options. Yes, from a purely physical standpoint, Trent Williams is a hand-in-glove fit for the zone blocking scheme Shanahan employs. But I would rather have had to coach Okung to be more mobile than coach Williams to be more consistent and aware. He could save this grade big time if he pans out, but I don’t think it’ll happen. Riley is a very athletic linebacker from a school known for producing raw talent with nice pro-style experience. He could be an ILB in the 3-4, or move to SAM in the 4-3 allowing Orakpo to play with hand in the dirt. Selvish Capers was still the best pick of this haul, considering he’s pretty close to Trent Williams from an upside standpoint and was had in the seventh.

Dennis Morris and Terrence Austin seem like surefire bets to be relegated to special teams, the practice squad or another city. I don’t like either pick, and I think bigger needs and better players were on the table. Morris fills a bigger need, but I don’t like his transitional projection, and Austin just isn’t that good. He’s a pro day warrior. That’s all.

The Redskins get my worst draft grade overall. I think they screwed up going with McNabb, an aging slinger with awful leadership skills for a vet, instead of Jimmy Clausen, whom they could have gotten in the second anyway. Williams was the wrong call at OT, and I see him ending up on the right side. And this is now a team that wants to run the ball with, get this, Larry Johnson, Willie Parker, and what’s left of Clinton Portis behind an awful line. Capers, Cook, and Riley save it from an F overall, but not by much.

FINAL GRADE: D

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