(updated title): Make Your Day One Redskins Draft Selections (Rounds 1-2)

What would any think about going after an O-linemen? Everything I have read and heard is that they think Brandon Albert may be available. I love Randy and Pete but lets face it, at somepoint in the near future we are going to need to start looking for their replacements. If we can bring in a young O-lineman and teach him for a year or two just think how dangerous that could be?

If he is not available then I would have to say a DE, possibly CB. Those are my choices for the 1st round. I really like Devin Thomas, and he should be available in later rounds. And if we really covet him, I wouldn't mind making some later round trades to move up and aquire him.

Thats my thought on everything.

Right now theres a lot of different ways for us to go. If the Redskins are intent on taking a D-Lineman first then they'll probably be looking at Merling (DE Clemson), Harvey (DE Florida), Balmer (DT UNC), Campbell (DE Miami), and Groves (DE/LB Auburn)

The wild card here is Groves. From what I understand Groves spent last year at OLB and right now our depth at OLB is questionable. Washington is getting older and behind Blades theres not much else. Plus they'll have to face the fact that Rocky might be out of the league in a few years due to possible injuries. Groves is Auburn's all time sack leader, and could be what I would call a rich man's Chris Wilson and a poor mans Vernon Gholston. He would also serve as an insurance policy for Carter.

Eventually down the line he could start at OLB for Washington and Blades could move back to his college position at MLB when Fletcher calls it quits. However in his first year as a Redskin it would be likely that he would see action on 3rd down and special teams.

My guess is if the Vikings take Merling and the Front Office and Coaching staff become scared off by Balmer and Campbell's bust factor, and they don't want to use a high pick on a Guard, even if it's someone of Alberts quality, and they can't trade back, then Groves might be the pick (holy run on sentence Batman).

The other scenarios include getting Merling, which recent reports of Blache getting a D-Lineman early suggest. The 2nd round is full of undersized ends with character issues, and apparently the Skin's aren't willing to use a 1st round pick on a reciever so if the Redskins are looking for a DE/DT hybrid then Merling would probably be the guy. And for safe measure they could get their 3 technique (DT) with Dre Moore (DT Maryland) in the second or DeMario Pressley (DT NC State) with their comp pick in the 3rd.

Then theres the possiblity that they could go for a 3 technique like Balmer in the first. In which case theres a truckload of DE's available from the late 3rd though the 5th round that produced well in college. If you want you can check out the day 2 picks thread where I listed the late round DE's.

Personally I don't know what they would do if they got Albert. I still picture the team making a run at Jordy in the second but thats just a guess, and as some of you know Ive been wrong on several occasions. Though according to Bram's recent blog post the Skins will use one of their first 4 picks on a reciever and if it's not on one of the first round guys then the only guy left that I see the Skins taking is Jordy. Of course theres also the possibility that a guy like Marcus Smith (http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/wr/marcussmith.html) could get a look. Who knows maybe the Skins would take a chance on a guy like Paul Hubbard.

However if the team does decide to go offense with the first two picks then it's possible that both 3rd round picks would bring in a DT and a DE. Of course the Redskins could also look at a CB like Tracey Porter in the second.

Right now the guys that I see getting the most consideration with the 21st pick are:

- Phillip Merling - DE/DT - Clemson
- Branden Albert - G - Virginia
- Kentwaan Balmer - DT UNC
- Kenny Phillips - S - Miami
- Mike Jenkins - CB/S - USF

honestly if kenny phillips is still there at 21, more than likely not, i dont think we can pass up filling that void.... i am not the least bit sold on doughty...

round 2 - jordy nelson

honestly if kenny phillips is still there at 21, more than likely not, i dont think we can pass up filling that void.... i am not the least bit sold on doughty...

round 2 - jordy nelson

I think we should draft the best player available, whether WR, DE, DT, LB, CB, or OL, just pick the best player that is available.

Why is everyone so big on drafting a WR number one overall? By the time the draft comes around Chad Johnson value will be so diminished that we can possibly pick him up for a third.

Does everyone really think that we need o-line over help on the dline? We only had 33 sacks as a team last year. we have no dline pressure on the quarterback. I think the first two picks should go on dline. A good dline makes up for a ok secondary: Ala the Giants and our secondary as is, is by far better then that of the Giants.

#1: DE
#2: DT
#3: Johnson
#3: OL


Tell me what you think

Every time I hear Vinny talking he says he would like to trade our first round pick for more pick. He sujested that he would be willing to trade it for a 2nd and a 3rd.

honestly if kenny phillips is still there at 21, more than likely not, i dont think we can pass up filling that void.... i am not the least bit sold on doughty...

round 2 - jordy nelson

If Kenny Phillips is the best player available with guys like Merling and Albert off the board. However next years safety class by rule of thumb will probably be a lot deeper, considering how weak this class is. Florida State and Missouri are also sporting possible first round picks in the Sean Taylor mold, though none of them will be nearly as talented.

Still Reed actually played as well as Landry did at SS after Landry moved to FS. Someone actually went through the trouble of putting there stats side by side of when they played SS and the numbers for Reed and Landry were nearly identical. I'm not saying that Reed is as good as Landry, as I predict that Landry will one day be at the same level as Troy Polamalu, but if Reed can play like a rookie Landry then I'm all for it.

Right now I honestly see the Merling/Nelson/McGlynn/Pressley route as being the most likely draft day scenario.

69 local players hopeful to make the Redskins roster were at workouts in Redskins park today, there is a list of them at the bottom of the link, some well known players include: Owen Schmitt, and Erin Henderson.
Local Prospects Get a Look (http://www.redskins.com/news/newsDetail.jsp?id=758)

Prospects by round in no particular order. Some of the second round picks take a possible trade down into account.

1st - Phillip Merling (DE Clemson), Calias Campbell (DE Miami), Kentwan Balmer (DT UNC), Kenny Phillips (S Miami), Branden Albert (G/T Virginia), Mike Jenkins (CB/S USF), Aquib Talib (CB Kansas), Malcolm Kelly (WR Oklahoma)

2nd - Lawrence Jackson (DE USC), Trevor Laws (DT Notre Dame), Dre Moore (DT Maryland), Chilo Rachel (G USC), Carl Nicks (G/T Nebraska), Justin King (CB Penn State), Reggie Smith (CB/S Oklahoma), Brandon Flowers (CB VT), Quinton Groves (DE/LB Auburn), Tracy Porter (CB Indiana), Mario Maningham (WR Michigan)

3rd - Jordy Nelson (WR KSU), Jerome Simpson (WR Costal Carolina), Roy Schuening (G Oregon State), Tony Hills (G/T Texas), Mike McGlynn (C/G/T Pitt), Charles Godfrey (CB Iowa), Jason Jones (DE Eastern Michigan), Terrell Thomas (CB USC), DeMario Pressly (DT NC State)

king is too high for the 2nd round. derrick harvey should be in your first round, and cromartie, even though both will be gone by 17 :/.

in the third zbikowski and barret (4.3 230lb safety WITH production) and both great choices too. i like a lot of the other guys you mention though.

king is too high for the 2nd round. derrick harvey should be in your first round, and cromartie, even though both will be gone by 17 :/.

in the third zbikowski and barret (4.3 230lb safety WITH production) and both great choices too. i like a lot of the other guys you mention though.

Right now I'm convinced that Harvey won't be there at 21. At this point though our major wild card as to weather we take Merling or Campbell is none other then our good friends the Minnesota Vikings. Theres no question they need a DE with Udeze going through health problems and Erasmus James racking up only 5 career sacks (not to mention coming off an injury). So with that said the question is are they going to become gun shy when it comes to the possiblity of taking a DE in the 1st?

Merling is coming off of a sports hernia and even though he's almost recoverd the fact remains that the injury could do little to ease their concerns the Vikings might have about drafting a DE in the first. And at this point it's definately to early for a team like the Vikings to draft a guy like Campbell. Of course Merling is also condiered a safe pick, and given the Vikings need at the position the chance that they take him is good.

Personally I think the Redskins are debating weather or not to take Merling or Campbell with that first pick, granted both have been considered top 15 talent at one point or another, and I have a feeling that the Front office affliction for Miami players as well as Campbell's connection with the D-Line coach has made the selection of Calias Campbell all that more likely.

As of now my mock draft for the Skins looks like this

1st - Calias Campbell - DE - Miami - Merling is probably a Viking at this point and the Redskins love players from the U. Plus Campbell has the most upside at this point in the draft. Also trade down these days are hard but we can always hope for a QB to make their way up the boards

2nd - Tracey Porter - CB - Indiana - Porter is the best corner at this point in the draft, but I think this spot is going to be between a Corner and Reciever. The Skins would love it if Jordy falls to them in the third but you have to wonder if someones going to take him in the early third. And on top of that Jerome Simpson is projected to be an early third round pick as well. Maningham is also a possiblity here, even though he's a smaller guy, he still has enough talent to contribute should he fall this far in the draft. Flowers is also a possiblity if he falls this far. Of course you can't forget about Andre Caldwell either.

3rd - Jordy Nelson - WR - Kansas State - This would be great if Jordy fell this far in the 3rd round but I have my doubts. Still the Redskins insist that their first four picks will be DL, CB, WR, and OL. It's also possible that the Redskins could draft Jordy with their second round pick, but by doing that they would have to hope for a corner like Terrell Thomas (http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/cb/terrellthomas.html) or Chevis Jackson (http://www.nfldraftcountdown.com/scoutingreports/cb/chevisjackson.html) to fall to them in the third, which is risky considering how hard it is to find a quality corner after the 2nd round.

3rd Comp - Tony Hills G/T - Texas- Right now Hills is projected as a 4th rounder but he also might be targeted by the Texans in the 3rd should they not get Branden Albert with the 18th pick. Hills is a great prospect for this coaching staff that could easily develop into a starter within two or three years and end up taking over at LG for the aging Kendell. Ironically I would consider him a poor mans Branden Albert even though he played most of college at LT. If the Skin's can't get Hills then look for them to draft Mike McGlynn out of Pitt.