Analysis

Redskins 2016 NFL Draft: Team Needs

By Philip Hughes

Posted on March 22, 2016

While the 2015 Washington Redskins team made the playoffs, the franchise still has a ways to go before the rebuild is complete. GM Scot McCloughan has made it clear that he is going to build through the draft. The team currently has eight picks; McC was recently quoted as saying he wants twelve, meaning fans can expect some trades. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the Redskins list of team needs.

Redskins 2016 NFL Draft Needs

Team Needs:

Defensive Tackle – The Redskins have a massive need for a double-team drawing nose tackle. If they are not able to obtain one that can start through the draft, they may opt to bring back Terrance “Pot-Roast” Knighton for another season.
Center – The center position has been one of the team’s needs for several seasons now. To make up for a lack of a natural center, the Redskins have tried to shift guards like Kory Lichtensteiger into the spot.
Safety – This has been a position of need since Sean Taylor died. With the lack of quality safeties in this year’s draft, the team may find it hard to get an immediate starter they won’t have to first develop.
Cornerback – The Redskins have Bashaud Breeland and Chris Culliver, who is returning from a season-ending knee injury, but not much else behind them.
Defensive End – With Jason Hatcher leaving via free agency, the Redskins will have to find a suitable defensive end to play opposite Chris Baker. The team will likely go with a combination of players, but drafting a player at this position is vital for the Redskins defensive type.
Inside Linebacker – The team currently has Will Compton, Mason Foster, Perry Riley, and Martrell Spaight (returning from injury) on the roster and will likely look for a late-round guy to play special teams.
Wide Receiver – It has been long noted that the Redskins, while having speedy receivers, lack a big red-zone target at the position. With both Pierre Garcon and Desean Jackson in contract years, the team should look to add a receiver.
Running back – The franchise currently has Matt Jones, Chris Thompson, and Silas Redd under contract. While Jones will be called on to take the bulk of the carries, Thompson is a third-down back at best, and Redd is coming off of injury. If the Redskins are looking to be a ‘ground-and-pound’ team, they will need another back to share carries with Jones.

McCloughan has long been a believer in filling team needs through the draft, “I preach and preach and preach, and I’ll never change: you build through the draft,” McC said. “You identify your own – who can play, but not just from a talent standpoint, but from a personality standpoint, character standpoint, a passion standpoint, a competitive standpoint where you know, ‘This guy fits what we’re looking for. We can build on these guys.’ And they teach younger guys how to do it.”

McCloughan is searching for specific types of players that the organization can mold into future leaders. “You mold them. You draft them; you bring them into your building. You know, the first experience in the NFL is with the Washington Redskins,” McC said. “I think that’s important because the coaches know them, they know how they learn, they know how to put them in a situation to be successful or not successful, they know how to make them become better football players.”

Below is a complete list of the Washington Redskins 2016 draft pick order: