At a glance: Washington's offense was bottom five in points and pass yards last season partly because of quarterback Alex Smith's injury but mostly because of a poor wide receiver room. Yet the team didn't go out and upgrade the unit save for a third round draft pick. If offensive-minded head coach Jay Gruden can't scheme for the talent he has, he could be looking for a new job next year. Tough place to be.
Quarterback Alex Smith's brutal knee injury put the Redskins in the QB hunt a lot sooner than they expected. You can't help but think the team would have rathered wait a year to draft a franchise guy. It's tough on many levels but so was not paying Kirk Cousins. Ultimately, Dwayne Haskins was the second best quarterback prospect this year and the team didn't have to trade up to get him, plus he has time to develop with Case Keenum likely to start. It's a silver lining on something Washington was forced into.
Washington's overall offense looks incredibly one dimensional. The running back room is jam packed - after drafting a running back nine years in a row - but the wide receiver room is empty. In nine combined seasons, the veterans ahead of third round pick Terry McLaurin have recorded 2,739 yards on 210 touches in 90 games. That's extremely poor and puts a lot of pressure on McLaurin to have an impact in Year 1. Somewhat fortunately, McLaurin played with Haskins in college so chemistry shouldn't be an issue and he can hit the ground running. He and tight end Jordan Reed figured to be big parts of the passing game.
Head coach Jay Gruden's ability to scheme a more successful attacking game will be under the microscope after his group was Bottom 5 last season. It might not be stacked with talent, but the offense may need to show signs of life if Gruden is to keep his job after 2019. If the scheme can't be made to suit the players Washington has, a new head coach could be in Washington for the first time in six years.
Only one significant pick was made by Washington on defense. In a good story for defensive end Montez Sweat - who slid because of a heart condition - the Redskins traded back into Round 1 to grab the pass rusher. The team recorded seventh most sacks last year but wanted a complimentary edge rusher for Ryan Kerrigan.
DRAFT PICKS (per ESPN)
1.15 Dwayne Haskins QB
1.26 Montez Sweat DE
3.12 Terry McLaurin WR
4.10 Bryce Love RB
4.29 Wes Martin OG
5.15 Ross Pierschbacher OG
5.35 Cole Holcomb OLB
6.33 Kelvin Harmon WR
7.13 Jimmy Moreland CB
7.39 Jordan Brailford DE
ORIGINAL COVER PHOTO: USA Today
