The Redskins Blog

Finding Impact Players In The 2nd Round

There’s no mystery that the Redskins are the only team without a first round pick in the draft and the likelihood of trading into the first round is slim to none. But hey, the team quote, unquote ‘mortgaged’ the future for last year’s second overall pick.

How’d that end up working out?

Well, the pick paid immediate dividends. It produced the consensus NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, the team’s first NFC East Championship since 1999 and a playoff berth.

Credit the coaching staff and front office for being proactive and making a deal the Rams couldn’t refuse in order to move up and take QB Robert Griffin III. Franchise quarterbacks with Griffin III’s raw talent and ability come around once in a blue moon and the team did what they needed to do to snatch the Heisman trophy winning quarterback.

There’s absolutely no reason to be discouraged that the team’s first selection will come on day two of the draft. And hey, impact players can be found in the second round, especially in a deep draft like this one.

Here’s a list of a few of the players selected in the second round of the 2012 NFL Draft who started and produced immediately for their respective teams.

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UPDATE: Redskins Mock Draft Tracker

Last year, the impact player of the draft was quarterback Robert Griffin III, who joined forces with running back Alfred Morris for immediate rookie impact.

This year, the Redskins will again be looking for a player that can come in and contribute right away. The difference this year is the team will have to wait until the second round to find said player. But have no fear: a playmaker can be found at number 51.

With the release of CB DeAngelo Hall, it goes without saying that the roster is pretty slim in the secondary which means the team will certainly need to address the position in the draft, barring any trades or free agent signings.

The good news for Redskins fans is that this year’s draft is incredibly deep in the secondary with talented players across the board. Consensus among NFL experts is that this draft class has upwards of double-digit safeties and cornerbacks with NFL-starter caliber skills whom could have an immediate impact and should be available deep into the second round.

The uncertainty is what order they will come off the board. So let’s go ahead and take a look at our updated Mock Draft Tracker and a few players the experts think the Redskins may have their eye on. Read more »

Redskins Mock Draft Tracker

The NFL Scouting Combine is complete and national pundits have updated their draft boards to include their most recent evaluations of the prospects. Many of the more well-known draft boards only offer opinions on the first round of the NFL Draft, and considering that the Redskins don’t pick until the second round (51^st overall), well, projecting the first thirty two picks simply doesn’t address the interests of Redskins fans.

So, we searched the internet for those next level mock drafts that provide a broader scope and offer complete analysis on how this year’s draft may unfold.

Although opinions on the exact players that the Redskins will draft vary, the common consensus remains that the Redskins will address needs in the secondary when the team selects at number fifty one.

Updated with the most recent projections, here’s the first installment with some of the players who experts around the league predict could be wearing the burgundy and gold come April.

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Could Redskins Go O-Line With No. 51?

(AP Photo)

This time last year, the Washington Redskins were in the middle of all draft speculation. The team was slated to select from the number five slot as quarterbacks Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III to cornerbacks Morris Claiborne and Janoris Jenkins had been linked to a spot in the Redskins locker room.

On March 14th, the team made a trade with the St. Louis Rams that shook the foundation of the franchise and sent shock waves across the league, trading away three first-round draft picks along with a second-round selection to move up to the number two slot to eventually select Griffin III.

It’s safe to say one year later that the trade will go down as one of the best moves in team history as Griffin III stabilized a position that has been a revolving door since the team’s Super Bowl XXVI victory in 1992. The risky transaction paid dividends for the team the moment Griffin III put on his number 1o jersey. His presence changed the attitude of the entire organization as they rode the momentum of the move all the way to an NFC East title.

One of the first-round selections that the Redskins gave up was this years pick, leaving the team without a selection until the second-round. While some might think that the draft does not carry as much importance without an opening round selection, this year’s draft may have even more significance as the Redskins look to add pieces to the puzzle in hopes of getting over the hump and into Super Bowl XLVIII.

One position that the team will explore over the next few weeks is the offensive line as they will look to add protection for Griffin III, Alfred Morris, and the league’s reigning rushing attack kings.

Find out about several possible lineman that the Redskins could pursue with the 51st overall selection and what some experts are saying about their draft stocks here: Read more »

First Time At The Combine

There’s one word that can describe the city of Indianapolis in February: Cold. Maybe a better word to use is frigid.

Nonetheless, our plane touched down earlier today in Indy, fresh off of an ice storm that impacted much of the Midwest Thursday night into Friday morning. But despite the bitter cold temperatures outside, we ventured over to Lucas Oil Stadium to catch the 2013 NFL Combine.

The five block trek through the city streets was worth the energy and excitement palpitating through the hundreds of media that were gathered together upon our arrival.

Today, kickers and punters took the field to show off their talents and abilities to NFL scouts representing all 32 teams. But as exciting as coffin corner punts are, we naturally turned our attention to the running backs and wide receivers who reported to the stadium today.

For the first time, these former college stars experienced a taste of what an NFL interview room feels like. The vibe inside was electric. The media were firing questions. Coaches, scouts and GMs were deep in analysis. And the athletes were prepared.

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Redskins Seeking Next Alfred Morris

With the start of the 2013 NFL Scouting Combine today in Indianapolis, Redskins fans can officially shift their focus to the long road to the NFL Draft.

The Scouting Combine was originally designed to provide teams with medical information on the players they might one day invest thousands of dollars in. Now, the Redskins will join the other 31 teams in attendance to mentally and physically poke and prod each of the 333 invitees in what has truly become the world’s most public job interview.

Wall-to-wall coverage of the Combine begins on the NFL Network Saturday morning at 9 a.m., and runs through next Wednesday evening. You can catch every 40-yard dash, 225-pound bench press, and three-cone drill in real time. You can watch as some NFL dreams take root, while others are stomped out.

Helping you and I understand the results and gauge the importance of the Combine is Redskins Director of Player Personnel Scott Campbell, who is now entering his 13th season with the Washington Redskins.

As was highlighted in yesterday’s post, Campbell and his staff deserve huge credit for the scouting work that went into last year’s landmark draft. However, there is much more to be said by the soft-spoken director of college scouting, as he prepares for one of the biggest days of his NFL calendar.

Check out the rest of his interview below:
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Griffin III Celebrates Another Special Day!

(AP Photo)

Today marks a special day for one member of the Washington Redskins.

This individual is relatively new to Redskins Nation, as he has only been part of this historic franchise for less than a year. His impact in his stint so far has been nothing short of amazing.

He is a former Heisman winner, the reigning AP Offensive Rookie of the Year, a Pro Bowler, a captain, and the creator of the 2012 sensation known simply as “Griffining”.

The man of course is none other than quarterback Robert Griffin III!

23!!!!!—
Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) February 12, 2013

Robert was born on February 12, 1990 in Japan to a military family, but spent the majority of his upbringing in Texas where he attended Baylor University before hearing his name called by Commissioner Roger Goodell as the Redskins had selected him to take the reigns under center.

In case you can’t remember all the birthday boy’s accomplishments in his time at Redskins Park, relive some of the moments here!

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Full Robert Griffin Gallery From New York

With only so many people in the Redskins organization able to travel to New York City for the NFL Draft, it’s all hands on deck to make sure things are covered.  With the help of the fine folks in the Redskins Public Relations department (and the Associated Press), we were able to feed you images of the Redskins presence in New York, including the eventual pick of Robert Griffin III.

For even more Redskins coverage, photos and quotes from tonight, be sure to follow the official Twitter feed (@Redskins).  Images like RGIII’s official draft card are exclusive to Redskins.com and the related media platforms.

Without further adieu, relive the night through photos.  Merry Griff-mas Redskins Nation:

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Green Room Phone Reactions, Ne’ermore

The age of green room phone reactions–like the one seen above by 2011 rookie Ryan Kerrigan–has come and passed, according to Josh Katzowitz of CBSSports.com.   Read more »

Carriker Blogs 2007 First-Round Memories

AP Image

Once upon a time, Redskins defensive end (and amateur blogger) Adam Carriker was one of the top prospects in all of college football.  Just five seasons ago, he awaited the exact same uncertainty that many top prospects face going into tonight.

His between his junior and senior seasons at Nebraska, Carriker was named the team’s MVP, along with the NCAA’s Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik awards.  He tallied 134 tackles despite starting only two full seasons, and piled up 20.5 sacks in his career.

But Carriker explains in his latest blog post on ProInterviews.org, that the titles and totals were less important than his game tape.  The way he performed on film was the true essence of his NFL job application and résumé.

Everything he had ever done as a football player led up to Draft Day: Read more »