Redskins Senior Bowl Mock Draft

Here is my fantasy Mock Draft for the Redskins if they only were to draft Senior Bowl players:

2nd Round: DL Aaron Donald

Runners up: OG Zack Martin, DT RaShede Hageman, C Travis Swanson

-You would need Donald to slide here (same thing for Martin), but it could happen given how much some teams will overhype the “lack of size”. Aaron Donald can simply play. He wins because of superior technique, quickness and Football I.Q. He’s not a perfect fit for the Redskins defense, but at the same time the Redskins defense could change quite a bit going forward. At the end of the day Donald is an impact player and you find ways to use guys like this. If he as 3 inches taller and 20 lbs heavier he’d be a top 5 pick and the most hyped DT since Suh.

-The Runners-up all address one of the trenches which are areas that need some impact players for the Redskins next season. Martin could start day one at guard or tackle, Hageman has the size along the DL that the Redskins could use and Swanson is the best center in the draft. It’s a bit of a reach for Swanson, but centers are tough to find and if the Redskins can get a guy who can play at a high level, it would be worth it.

3rd Round: G Gabe Jackson

Runners up: ILB Chris Borland, OT Morgan Moses, OG Cyril Richardson, WR Jordan Matthews, S Jimmie Ward

-The Redskins need to beef up their offensive line, and if they don’t go in that direction with their top pick, it should be their choice with their 3rd round selection. Jackson had a really good week of practice and only really struggled when he faced Aaron Donald in the game (Jackson would probably be pretty happy to be on the same team as Donald). He’s a guy who should be able to start as a rookie and boost the run and pass blocking. He had a very successful career in the SEC and should translate well to the NFL game.

-If they don’t take Jackson, other linemen like Moses or Richardson could make a lot of sense. If Jordan Matthews slides like Keenan Allen did a year ago he could be a steal at this spot. A top defender leader like Chris Borland or Jimmie Ward could make some sense as well.

4th Round: ILB Christian Jones

Runners up: G/T Brandon Thomas, C Weston Richburg, CB Jaylen Watkins, WR Jared Abbrederis, DT Justin Ellis, CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste

-The Redskins need to replace London Fletcher and may look to move on from Perry Riley as well if he gets too expensive. Jones lined up all over the field for the Seminoles and could be a creative player to add for the Redskins as well. While primarily he could be an inside linebacker, Jones has shown that he can play with his hand on the ground or rush from a standing up position as well. He could be a devastating blitzer from the inside, because he has the pass rush skills of an outside backer. Jones would be a nice pick to boost a defense that has been lacking in talent in recent years.

-If Jones is off the board or if they had already addressed the positions, there are a number of options the Redskins could go with. They could get a offensive lineman to boost that area,or a wide receiver in Jared Abbrederis to give RGIII a quality weapon he can count on. Defensively they could look at a big nose tackle like Justin Ellis or a corner like Watkins or Jean-Baptiste.

5th Round: C Bryan Stork

Runners up: WR Josh Huff, S Craig Loston, ILB Larmin Barrow, G Jon Halprio, DE Brett Urban

-If the Redskins haven’t gotten a center year, Stork could be a great later option. He’s in that 4th-5th round range, but could easily still be on the board here in the 5th. He’s an extremely smart center, who should be able to play early on. He’s also got some guard experience giving him some versatility. Stork was considered the key cog on the FSU line this season and helped a RS Freshman QB get the protection he needed.

-The Skins could look to add a burner like Huff to their receiver corps and give them another deep threat on the team. Loston and Barrow are both LSU guys who have flashed plenty of potential, but maybe aren’t the most consistent players. They play positions of need for  the Redskins, and at the very worst they would be quality back-ups. Halprio and Urban would be nice depth upgrades along the lines for the Redskins.

6th Round: CB Walt Aikens

Runners up: TE Crockett Gilmore, WR Michael Campanaro, G/T Wesley Johnson, DE Shamar Stephen

-The Skins need plenty of corner help, and if they don’t address it early a young guy like Aikens could make sense. He’s got great size and despite coming from a small school he held his own here at the Senior Bowl. While he might not help immediately, he’s got the length and upside that he could develop into a nice corner down the road for the Redskins.

-Crockett Gilmore could be viewed as a cheap upgrade to Logan Paulsen, who really regressed last season. Gilmore showed well as an inline blocker and caught the ball nicely in his short week down in Mobile. He could be a nice pick-up to give the Redskins some options on two tight-end sets. Campanaro would be a nice slot receiver option who catches just about everything thrown his way. Johnson is an undersized, but versatile lineman who displays a nice anchor and succeeded in the SEC. Stephen would be a quality 5-tech option for the Redskins.

7th Round: WR Jeff Janis

Runners up: WR Cody Hoffman, OG Kadeem Edwards, CB Lavelle Westbrooks, CB/S Dontae Johnson

-In this deep receiver class the Redskins could look to wait a bit and take an upside guy. Janis could easily be that guy. He’s going to get overlooked because he came from Saginaw Valley State. From a talent perspective he’s far better than an early 7th round pick (more like a 5th rounder), but he is primed to slide because teams will ignore him. Janis had a strong Senior Bowl week and showed really nice hands, speed, size and route running ability. He’s not perfect, but he’s got great projection going forward.

-Hoffman is another bigger receiver the Redskins could look at late. He’s more of a possession type of receiver, but he’s got nice size and was pretty productive in college. Edwards is a smaller school guard with some potential and power. Westbrooks and Johnson are longer corners with nice size. Johnson also played safety in college and could be a better fit there.