The Washington Redskins have several needs they need to address in the draft, particularly defensively, but they plan to draft the best player available regardless of need, according to Mike Jones of the Washington Post:
However, McCloughan is gone – fired in March by team president Bruce Allen with two years left on his contract. But, Redskins officials don’t plan to change their approach.
“It’s the age-old answer of, we’re going to take the best player available,” Redskins director of college scouting Scott Campbell said on Monday when he met with reporters to discuss the team’s draft preparation and plans. “If that serves your needs, that’s a bonus. Certainly, ideally, you have enough different players that there’s not just one sitting there like a left tackle. If a left tackle’s sitting there, that’s relaly not a big need for us, I don’t think. ... You’re going to go a different direction. Hopefully, you have guys graded in that pocket where you’re not really reaching for a position, you’re taking another position that you may need better.”
Indeed, the best-player-available approach that McCloughan preached wasn’t really new for the Redskins. Even in the years before McCloughan – when Allen served as general manager and Mike Shanahan as team president and head coach – both described that as their philosophy as well. However, there certainly were times when they seemed to reach for needs.
But Campbell said that he and the Redskins’ scouts, with input from the coaches, have formed their draft board in the same manner they always have, and plan to again pursue the highest-rated players to further strengthen the roster.
Washington's biggest needs are at linebacker, safety and running back, and this draft has good depth at all of those positions.
In Chat Sports' latest four-round mock draft, the Redskins are projected to take Alabama DL Jonathan Allen, Tennessee RB Alvin Kamara, Illinois pass rusher Dawuane Smoot, Western Kentucky WR Taywan Taylor and Florida OL David Sharpe.
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