Kelvin Kuo USA TODAY Sports
The Washington Redskins gave up multiple draft picks to move up in the 2012 draft and select quarterback Robert Griffin III, and they’ll have a first-round pick this year for the first time since that year. New general manager Scot McCloughan will have a pick in each round to add depth and talent to a roster that needs both in a lot of areas, and Washington’s first selection will come at No. 5 overall.
The Redskins will be able to take the best player available with the fifth overall pick, be it a pass rusher (Vic Beasley, Shane Ray), offensive lineman (Brandon Scherff) or even a wide receiver (Kevin White, Amari Cooper). Rumors have attached the Redskins to quarterback Marcus Mariota, and drafting him can’t be ruled out with lingering questions about Griffin’s future in Washington beyond the 2015 season.
I think the best-case scenario for Washington in the upcoming draft is attached to Mariota, but not if they take him fifth overall and add him to their quarterback mix. If Mariota is available when the Redskins go on the clock, I expect multiple teams to try to trade up in an effort to get ahead of the New York Jets at No. 6 overall. The most recent Heisman Trophy winner looks like a great fit for the system of new Jets’ offensive coordinator Chan Gailey, which any team picking later in the first round that has a lot of interest in Mariota surely recognizes.
Mariota falling to fifth overall stands to put McCloughan in a great position to trade down and accumulate more picks, both this year and down the road. All things considered, a deal like that should get done if the right offer comes.
It’s still too early to call Washington’s move up to draft Griffin three years ago a complete mistake, even if it looks like it after the last two seasons. But if they can take advantage of a similar situation this year, and get a bounty of draft picks from a team that is willing to bet the future for the right to draft Mariota, everything else in this year’s draft should fall nicely into place for the Redskins.
Brad Berreman is a Columnist/Senior Writer at Rant Sports.com. Follow him on Twitter.
