The Washington Redskins did the right thing.
Selecting offensive tackle Trent Williams with the fourth overall pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft was absolutely necessary. Not a quarterback. Not a safety. Not anything else among the endless rumors over recent days.
The Redskins desperately needed a left tackle on an offensive line that still lacks a right side. Without a left tackle, the season was heading for 4-12 no matter who ran or passed the ball. With Williams, Washington gains a cornerstone to replace 10-year veteran Chris Samuels.
There will be debate in coming years over whether the Redskins should have instead taken Russell Okung, who went sixth to Seattle. As long as Washington chose an offensive tackle, that’s all that matters for now.
This was the first draft under the new front office braintrust of coach Mike Shanahan and general manager Bruce Allen. They needed some credibility to distance the franchise from a decade of rotating coaches and poor drafts. Williams provides it.
Washington could have dropped down to acquire more picks, but that would have been even riskier. They needed an offensive tackle and getting the best one was more important than a good tackle and maybe a second-round pick for a receiver or another lineman. Filling another need would have been nice, but not as good as gaining a left tackle to protect quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Funny, the top five picks went pretty much as expected after a whirlwind of blown smoke in recent days. St. Louis opened with the logical pick — quarterback Sam Bradford. The Rams have no passer so it was a must selection.
If the Redskins really wanted Bradford, they would have overpaid to swap picks with the Rams. Maybe throw in Albert Haynesworth. Obviously, Washington stayed with McNabb after trading for him on April 4. Given Bradford’s shoulder history and the Redskins having no offensive line, it was the smart move not to take him. Bradford would have just ended up hurt.
Rumored to be interested in Okung, Detroit instead went with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, as expected. Now Washington’s backup plans were largely voided. With Tampa Bay choosing Gerald McCoy with the third pick, the Redskins had no excuse not to take an offensive tackle.
For all the jubilation over the Redskins finally making a smart choice is the reality they don’t pick again until Saturday. That is, unless they trade Haynesworth for a second rounder. But that seems increasingly unlikely.
Washington gets tomorrow off, and that’s not good. Their competitors are gaining two more quality players while the Redskins stare at the board for 38 hours.
Williams makes the Redskins better, but they’re still several drafts away from possibly being a true Super Bowl contender.
Rick Snider has covered local sports since 1978. Read more at TheRickSniderReport.com and Twitter @Snide_Remarks or e-mail [email protected].
