NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock knows what the Redskins should do with the fourth overall pick — especially if Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford checks out medically.
“If you believe a franchise quarterback is available at No. 4, that trumps all other needs,” Mayock said. “If you think Sam Bradford is a franchise quarterback and his right shoulder stands up medically, then you have to take Sam Bradford. There is a school of thought that you’d better upgrade that offensive line before they draft a quarterback or he may get killed. But I always go back to quarterback trumps everything.”
And he thinks Bradford, if he’s fine physically, should be that guy.
“Sam Bradford is a franchise quarterback and he is a top-10 player,” Mayock said.
He also said Bradford likely will be there when the Redskins pick fourth, even if he has a good physical at the combine. St. Louis, picking first, needs a quarterback. But Mayock said the best players in the draft are defensive tackles Gerald McCoy and Ndamukong Suh.
“The bottom line is that St. Louis has the same decision-making process that Washington has,” Mayock said. “[But] it will be hard to trump those two defensive tackles. You’d better be 100 percent convinced that Bradford is your guy because you will pass up an All-Pro defensive guy by doing so.”
On the off chance that Bradford is not there, Mayock does not advocate taking Notre Dame’s Jimmy Clausen.
“He’s not as polished or as accurate,” Mayock said. “I don’t think he gets past 13 or 14, where San Francisco or Seattle comes into play. But it’s a little high at No. 4 for Clausen. … The bigger issues for him are convincing people he can be a great leader and will work his tail off. Then all the intangibles are there to be the franchise quarterback. I can tell you right now as far as natural physical ability he has it.”
