The newest Redskins, courtesy of three seventh-round picks:
1. Terrence Austin, UCLA: He provides the Redskins with game-breaking speed as a kick returner, something they have lacked for a while. Rock Cartwright was reliable, but Austin has the ability to scare coverage units; he’s UCLA’s second all-time leader in kick return yardage. And he’s a punt returner, though Phillip Buchanon can fill that role as well. Not sure Austin will play much receiver; he could probably be a decent slot receiver because of his quickness. I’ve seen him listed as 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds and 5-foot-11 and 185 pounds. That’s a big difference in terms of durability.
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2. Erik Cook, New Mexico: He played four spots along the line at New Mexico — left tackle, right tackle, left guard and center — and likely projects to a guard in Washington, though his versatility will give him a better chance of making the roster. The Redskins needed to find some young players to try and develop, something they have not done in quite a while. Cook’s brother, Ryan, plays for Minnesota. Cook was a team captain and also a smart player: he handled all the line calls and blitz adjustments for the Lobos. There’s some reports that say he needs to get stronger; he benched 225 pounds only 19 times at the combine. However, the emphasis in Washington will be more on lateral quickness. Cook is 6-foot-6, 318 pounds.
3. Selvish Capers, RT, West Virginia: And Here’s a bio from college. I saw Capers in the Senior Bowl and was not impressed with him at left tackle and only mildly impressed with him on the right side. However, scheme can play a factor in how a guy looks in those games. I was also judging him as a potential higher-round pick. As a seventh-rounder? Why not take a shot on him and perhaps groom him for a couple years down the road? Very much worth it. He’s considered to have good athletic ability and even Pro Football Weekly projected him as a second- to third-round pick. Artis Hicks likely will start at right tackle this season so Capers can come in and learn. Denver was good at grooming young linemen under Mike Shanahan so perhaps the same will hold true now. The good thing is that they selected three offensive linemen, something they had not done since 1987 (thanks to CSNwashington’s Ryan O’Halloran for that one).
