With the first wave of free agency over, the Washington Football Team looks way totally different on offense, and somehow got better on defense.
They added guys like William Jackson III to help them guard the pass, and weapons like Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries help the passing offense. Adding Ryan Fitzpatrick to a one year deal gives them a guy who will push the ball downfield, giving them the best QB they’ve had since Kirk Cousins in 2017.
Now the main question is, where do they go from here? What positions do they address in the draft?
For starters, I know they want to upgrade at linebacker. In a press conference on March 10th, coach Rivera said: “I’d love to see us get a guy with the skillset of Kevin Pierre-Louis, whether it’s Kevin or someone else. I’d love to have Kevin back.”
Well, he signed with the Houston Texans, so they are and they like what they have in Jon Bostic and Cole Holcomb, but they need a guy who is good in coverage. Bostic and Holcomb are thumpers, and they’re good at blitzing the QB and defending the run, with questionable coverage skills. They’ve been linked to Zaven Collins out of Tulsa and Jabril Cox out of LSU. Cox fits more of the mold they’re looking for, and they will probably be looking for him in the second round if he falls.
Even though they signed WRs Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries, they could still look at add a WR. Devonta Smith, the Heisman trophy winning WR from Alabama, Ka’Darius Toney out of Florida, and Rashad Rashod Bateman out of Minnesota could be a first round option. They are looking for a big body WR to add to the room, and they’ve been watching the situation with Patriots WR K’Neal Harry. If they’re looking to acquire him, they won’t have to give up that much draft capital, probably something like a day three pick. Adding him to a room with the weapons they already have would give them versatility, speed guys and red zone threat.
A left tackle will also be high on their draft board. They like what they have in Cornelius Lucas, but he is not the long term answer. Christian Darrisaw out of USC and Tevin Jenkins out of Oklahoma State, those are the more realistic guys I can see them taking in the first round. With the additions they’ve made on offense, providing a first round talent at left tackle is a recipe for success in the long term.
Drafting a QB is still possible, but not unless one of them falls like Trey Lance and Justin Fields. Representatives from Washington attended both their pro days, and they’ve been high on Fields for a while now. If one of the QBs fall pass the Atlanta Falcons at #4, they will probably look at trading up with the Lions at #7, as the Bengals and Dolphins will probably not take a QB. A guy like Kyle Trask as a day 2 pick is still a route they can take.
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