The Washington Redskins beat NFC East rivals in the draft’s early rounds — barely.
The Dallas Cowboys gained a needed cornerback. The Philadelphia Eagles as usual took a handful of solid players. The New York Giants suffered a Super Bowl winner’s fate of picking last each round, coming away with helpful pieces but nothing spectacular.
Washington earned the wow factor with quarterback Robert Griffin III as the second overall choice. Griffin figures to fit the Redskins’ offense perfectly. The question is how long will it take? Probably a season or two, so Washington doesn’t get the immediate impact Dallas gains in cornerback Morris Claiborne, but quarterbacks are still the most important position so Griffin alone gives the Redskins the edge.
That Washington’s original No. 6 selection was later flipped by St. Louis to Dallas to take Claiborne stung slightly. Letting the Cowboys gain their top priority through the Redskins’ one-time selection must have hit Washington with some irony.
If third-rounders are the last group that often plug in immediately, then Washington didn’t get much else in the draft. SMU guard Josh LeRibeus should prosper as a zone blocker. But this is mostly an insurance pick given the Redskins’ injuries along the line in recent years. With guard Kory Lichtensteiger coming off a serious knee injury, LeRibeus will probably play.
Dallas was lucky to trade up for Claiborne. St. Louis just wanted more picks to restock a horrid team, so the Cowboys found someone willing to let them fill an absolute need. The Cowboys have been undermined by their secondary for years. This pickup can’t be understated.
Like Washington, Dallas didn’t pick again until the third round and found a nice reserve in Boise State defensive end Tyrone Crawford. He’s raw though — starting only one year at end.
Philadelphia always seems to draft the most players. They had a division-high four picks in the first three rounds, but none seem exciting.
Defensive tackle Fletcher Cox of Mississippi State can play inside or out, but the 12th overall pick should stand out more. California linebacker Mychal Kendricks, a second-rounder, is also a versatile positional player. But also taking Marshall defensive end Vinny Curry in the second round seems like a bit of an overload on the front seven. Picking Arizona quarterback Nick Foles in the third round was a little head scratching.
New York went with a safe pick in the first round with Virginia Tech running back David Wilson, who’s insurance behind Ahmad Bradshaw. He’s a good straight-ahead runner like the Giants prefer, but if he gets 500 yards this season it’s because Bradshaw’s hurt.
Getting LSU receiver Rueben Randle in the second round was a steal. The 6-foot-3 receiver replaces departing free agent Mario Manningham. Third-round corner Jayron Hosley can be their nickel corner, but at 5-10, 178 pounds he might be vulnerable to big receivers.
Examiner columnist Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more on Twitter @Snide_Remarks or email [email protected].
