Could the Redskins Draft Multiple WR’s This Year?

By: Justin Partlow

After the 2013 season ended, the focus began to be on whom the Redskins could add both through the draft and free agency. As the weeks have passed, there seems to be trends and heavy speculation on what could happen both in FA and the draft. The one that seems to be gaining major steam is the thought of the Redskins adding two WR’s through the draft. I’ll discuss why it would be smart to happen, and some targets that make the most sense below.

Why does it make sense?

While some will not understand the idea of adding two WR’s, the truth of the matter is that you need to add weapons for both Jay Gruden to use, and for Robert Griffin III to throw to. Right now currently on the roster, the Redskins have Garcon and after that a mediocre group at best. While there are no guarantees in the draft, looking at the drafting of players while Gruden as the OC in Cincy, it’s easy to see that they did quite well with the WR selections.

What makes the idea of drafting two WR’s very enticing is the ability to develop in-house talent and hopefully have them at a lower cost than that of a possible high priced free agent WR who could come in. The move puts them under team control for likely four years and the cost would be highly less than that of say an Eric Decker who is going to land a contract around 8 to 9 million dollars a year. The other thing that makes the idea of drafting WR’s enticing is to have them grow and develop with Robert Griffin. It allows for more cohesion and through the growing pains will make the team that much better in the end if they do pan out.

Who could the Redskins draft?

The question now comes to who could the Redskins draft if they look to add two WR’s in this draft. I think the smart bet would be to add a bigger slot WR, and add someone who can be the #2 WR that takes the pressure off of Pierre Garcon to produce at the 100+ catch level. With that in mind I’ve narrowed down a few names that fit into each part.

Devin Street WR Pittsburgh

In comparison to other WR’s in this class, Street seems to be one of the least known players and that is a shame. Street is a savvy player who has great hands and makes plays for his team. What Street doesn’t do well is have that long speed that allows him to break away from defenders. When watching Street on film it’s easy to see how effective he is in the slot. He can take a 3-5 yard slant and turn it into a 10-15 yard gain for the offense. Teams will devalue him in some respects due to his speed, but in the slot with his size and short area quickness he could be a very valuable commodity.

Allen Robinson WR Penn State

Another gifted WR to come out of the Big 10, Allen Robinson has shown to be a future star in the NFL. Robinson has a lot of a Pierre Garcon flavor to his game in the intricacies of his routes, and the types of routes he runs. What I mean is that when I watched Robinson on film, I saw the bubble screens, the drag routes, the post routes that make Garcon a very good WR. Route running can be improved with Robinson and there are some raw parts to his game still, but in terms of what Robinson has now he’s someone who can play right away in the NFL.

Davante Adams WR Fresno State

Of all of the WR’s mentioned, Adams is the one with the most raw parts to his game. This also leads to him being a moldable piece of clay that can become a very good WR if he can learn and refine his game. Adams has a wide catch radius, and does a very good job of high-pointing the ball. Adams though struggles with some of his routes, and that is mainly attributed to the offense he played in at Fresno State. Blocking is a downside to Adams as well, but if you need someone who can become a very good red-zone threat early on and develop from there, then you have one with Adams.

With all of that said I’d really be surprised to not see the Redskins draft two receivers this year. With the insane depth of the upcoming draft class, it makes the most sense to focus the free agency efforts on the defense and offensive line, and focus the draft to mainly the offense.