2012 NFL Draft - Washington Redskins

Washington Redskins - NFC North, 2012 Draft Selections & Prospects

 
Washington Redskins

2012 NFL Draft Team Analysis - AFC
EAST Buffalo | Miami | New England | NY Jets
WEST Denver | Kansas City | Oakland | San Diego
NORTH Baltimore | Cincinnati  Cleveland | Pittsburgh
SOUTH Houston | Indy | Jacksonville | Tennessee

2012 NFL Draft Team Analysis - NFC
EAST Dallas | NY Giants | Philadelphia | Washington
WEST Arizona | San Francisco | Seattle | St. Louis
NORTH Chicago | Detroit | Green Bay | Minnesota
SOUTH Atlanta | Carolina | New Orleans | Tampa Bay   

- 2011 Washington Draft Breakdown
- 2010 Washington Draft Breakdown

The Draft Was ... amateur hour. First the Redskins paid way, WAY too much to get Robert Griffin III, who’s hardly the sure thing everyone is making him out to be, and then they gave away the rest of the draft with awful pick after awful pick. If the team believed so much in RGIII, then why spend a fourth round pick, one the team desperately needed to hit on, on Kirk Cousins? There was almost no value with any pick anywhere from start to finish.
Best Value Pick: QB Kirk Cousins, Michigan State, 4th round
Worst Value Pick: OG Josh LeRibeus, SMU, 2nd round
They Should've ... taken Brandon Taylor in the third round. The secondary needs safety help and the LSU Tiger was right there for the taking. Instead, in comes Josh LeRibeus, who’s a marginal tweener offensive line prospect wwho could’ve been had in the sixth round or lower. Taylor went two picks later to San Diego. The Skins didn’t address the problems at offensive tackle until it was too late in the sixth round.
Division Draft Ranking: 4
Overall Draft Ranking: 30

First Round

QB Robert Griffin III, Baylor (Jr.) 6-2, 223
Overall Pick No. 2 CFN Overall Ranking: 4
CFN Analysis: And here starts the ride. RGIII has more question marks than it might appear, and he’s not the sure thing everyone is making him out to be, but he sure will be a fun player for the Redskins to work around. For a franchise that needs a new star and someone to be the main man, there couldn’t be a better spokesman. However, he has to make a major transition from the spread offense to what Washington is going to want to do, and now the pressure is on. Considering what the Redskins gave up, he has to win a Super Bowl or the pick doesn’t work.

Possibly the most athletic quarterback prospect in NFL history, he’s a world-class hurdler who started out his career as a dynamite playmaker who took off to make things happen. Over time he turned into a passer who just so happened to occasionally run, and the results were magical.

While he doesn’t have a cannon, he has an excellent deep arm with nearly perfect touch, uncanny accuracy, and the fearless stones to confidently push the ball down the field no matter what the situation. While he was one of the most efficient passers in college football history, he has to work on his short-to-midrange consistency and he has to be able to fit the ball through the eye of a needle. He spent his career connecting with the open man, and while his mobility will buy him time, he has to prove he can go from being a spread quarterback to a pro-style passer.

The basic tools are all there and he’s an interesting and unique physical prospect, but RGIII’s biggest asset is RGIII. An unquestioned leader, he has the type of magnetic personality and character that will make a team follow him blindly into the toughest battles. Smart, he doesn’t make mistakes and always seems to come up with the right read. Fiery, he has a passion for the game and the right attitude with no prima donna traits whatsoever.

For all his great abilities and with all his upside, he’s not the prospect that Andrew Luck is. He has to prove he can fit in a normal NFL offense and he might have a short shelf life if he plans on using his legs on a regular basis – he’s not built to take a beating like Cam Newton is. But he’s the type of quarterback a team will love to have as the franchise-maker, even if it takes him a little while to fit the mold.
CFN Projection: No. 2 overall  

Third Round

G Josh LeRibeus, SMU 6-3, 312
Overall Pick No. 71 CFN Overall Ranking: Unranked
CFN Analysis: The Redskins need bodies to protect RGIII, and they wanted a big pounder of a blocker to push people around for the ground game – that’s not LeRibeus. This is a reach, though, with big-time concerns about his weight and his versatility, and while he might turn into a starter, he won’t be a difference maker. At the very least he’ll provide some much-needed depth for a thin line.

He’s a good run blocker but not an elite one. When he’s able to keep his weight in check he can move well and is quick for his size, but he’s not going to move to right tackle and has to stay on the inside. He’ll work hard and he could play center, but he’s not physical enough and won’t be more than just a backup on the inside. There’s potential if given time, but it’s a hard-ceiling.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round

Fourth Round

QB Kirk Cousins, Michigan State 6-3, 214
Overall Pick No. 102 CFN Overall Ranking: 35 CFN Analysis: A rock-solid prospect with a low ceiling but no bust potential, he has the right height, a great head, and all the intangibles to be a leader of an offense for a long, long time. A good conductor who knows what everyone is supposed to do, and good at making the right read, he’ll be ready right out of the box with a solid throwing motion that won’t need much tweaking. Vocal, he’s comfortable at being the spokesman for the team with the right blend of attaboy and vinegar to motivate the troops. The problem is that he might be Chad Pennington – great in the locker room and limited on the field. Not a power pitcher, he’s more of a finesse thrower and doesn’t throw the best of balls. Ultra-accurate in drills, he can play and he has starting ability, but there’s a limited upside. He’ll be a piece of the puzzle rather than the reason a team succeeds.
CFN Projection: Second Round 

Fourth Round

OLB Keenan Robinson, Texas 6-3, 240
Overall Pick No. 119 CFN Overall Ranking: 80
A superstar prospect for a Texas program that gets nothing but superstar prospects, Robinson put together a nice career. While he’s not fast by the stopwatch, he moves well on the field with smooth moves and nice athleticism. With his size, and strength – cranking out 27 reps on the bench – he looks the part and can do it all. He’s good against the run and terrific against the pass, however, he’s not going to beat anyone up and he’s far better when he gets to run around than when he has to deal with a smashmouth attack. A good-character guy and a natural leader, he’s the type of person every coach wants, but he doesn’t quite have the game to fit every system.
CFN Projection: Third Round

Fifth Round

OG Adam Gettis, Iowa 6-4, 293
Overall Pick No. 141 CFN Overall Ranking: 160

Way too light and can only be used in a zone-blocking scheme, he needs to add at least ten more pounds, preferably 15 or more, before he can even think of moving anyone around. However, he’s good in one-on-one battles, has great athleticism, and he’s always hustling and working. One of the quickest guards in the draft, he’ll find a role as a top blocker on the move and can work his way into starting at either guard spot. Again, though, there’s the bulk problem. He’ll try to get bigger and stronger, but he’s going to have a hard enough time to maintain his current weight. Simply a good football player, that’ll have to be enough, but he can’t fit on a power-rushing line and has to be able to work on the move.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round

Sixth Round

FB Alfred Morris, Florida Atlantic 6-0, 219
Overall Pick No. 173  CFN Overall Ranking: No. 4 FB
A tailback who’ll have to make it as a fullback, there’s a shot he could be a change-of-pace power back who does a little of everything for an offense. He’s fast, can block, and he can potentially grow into a pass protector on third downs. Strong on the field and with great character, he’ll do what he has to. A true tweener, he’s a little bit of a runner and a little bit of a blocker, and he needs to find something he can do at a high level. He’ll make a team, though, as a special teamer.
CFN Projection: Sixth Round

Sixth Round

OT Tom Compton, South Dakota 6-6, 314
Overall Pick No. 193 CFN Overall Ranking: 172
A good-sized tweener who could be a decent guard in the right system if he doesn’t end up locking down a right guard spot. Still scratching the surface, he could still add about ten pounds of good weight and not lose a thing, but he’s fine as is. Now it’s time to go to work to get his technique up to a high level. He has the athleticism and the upside, but his mechanics and footwork have to be broken down and built back up by an NFL offensive line coach. The tools and the attitude are all there, and as is he’ll be a good backup for a few spots, but he might need a year or two of seasoning before growing into a terrific starter. He’ll do the work needed, and he should be worth the payoff.
CFN Projection: Fourth Round

Seventh Round

CB Richard Crawford, SMU
Overall Pick No. 2   CFN Overall Rank: Unranked
CFN Projection: Free Agent