Face the Nation

By Peyton Schultze

Washington did not have a good year by any means in 2019, but could have found two building blocks for the future in Dwayne Haskins and Terry McLaurin (via CBS Sports).

Brash. Foolish. Controversial. Mistake-prone. There are many words and phrases that would be appropriate to label the current state of professional football in the nation’s capital at the moment, but none of those will matter in a few weeks when Washington selects second overall in the 2020 NFL Draft. With needs across the board in key positions such as defensive end, linebacker, cornerback, and possibly even quarterback, Washington needs to have a big draft and really hit on some elite players that kick off the Ron Rivera-era on a positive note in D.C.

It was somewhat of a surprise to see a coach of Rivera’s stature join an organization with such poor recent history, but this challenge to rise up and regain their place at the top of the NFC East has to be something that really excites fans in Washington D.C. In 2019, Washington fell significantly short of any sort of expectations, finishing fourth in the NFC East with a 3-13 record. But that does not mean that all hope is lost for Washington, especially when it comes to potential building blocks possibly already sitting within the organization. Although they have not made any major moves this offseason in free agency, Washington does have two potential studs on offense in quarterback Dwayne Haskins and wide receiver Terry McLaurin. The versatile McLaurin seemingly flew under the radar as a rookie and produced a very nice offensive season despite inconsistent quarterback play, whereas Haskins stepped into the starting role a bit later in the season than expected. Haskins was not an elite player by any means, especially when it comes to his overall career record so far, but he did make several big plays in key moments that have truly given fans some excitement for what the future of the franchise may hold.

Which is why this draft is so crucial for Washington. With Rivera and new associates now in the mix for the franchise, it is clear that things are going to be quite different inside the building right away. With practically every player on the block and being forced to earn a spot on the squad, it will be interesting to see what direction Washington will go in the draft. Will they pay their loyalty toward Haskins and hold off on drafting a competitor? Will they make a foolish selection at the top or possibly even trade their pick? Or will they make the move that everyone expects them to make by drafting all-world pass rusher Chase Young? There’s plenty of major questions that are about to be answered in The Federal City, and it will be compelling to see what truly unfolds in a couple of weeks on draft night.

Ohio State’s Chase Young appears to be the favored player at #2 overall, but don’t be surprised if Washington gives some serious consideration to a quarterback such as Tua Tagovailoa (via Sports Illustrated).

If everything falls in the way that many people assume it will, Washington will use the second overall pick to select pass rusher Chase Young, a potentially generational talent on the defensive side of the football out of Ohio State. Young’s absurd mix of size, speed, and athleticism has scouts reminded of future Hall of Fame talents such as Khalil Mack and Von Miller, two of the best pure pass rushers in the past ten years. The uber-talented Young would immediately enter an already-solid Washington defensive line that could cause true havoc in the NFC East, especially with the Cowboys and Eagles facing some potential holes on each of their offensive lines. But even though Young remains as heavily regarded as any prospect in recent memory, there’s certainly a chance that Washington could decide to take a quarterback or trade their pick entirely in a stunning move.

Washington may have their quarterback of the future already in Haskins, but it is fair to question if their new regime will want their own face of the franchise in their first year together. With Washington sitting directly in the driver’s seat, they’ll have to face that key decision almost right away after the Cincinnati Bengals likely take quarterback Joe Burrow with the #1 overall pick. If Burrow goes first, Washington will have several quarterback options sitting right in front of them such as Tua Tagovailoa, Justin Herbert, and Jordan Love. Although it seems strange that the Redskins would ditch Haskins just one year in, the Arizona Cardinals did set a precedent last season when they dumped young signal caller Josh Rosen in favor of quarterback Kyler Murray with the first overall pick in 2019. Washington likely won’t have a choice between Burrow and the others, so it appears their key alternative selection if they don’t draft Young is Tagovailoa out of Alabama. Tua enters this draft as one of the most talented, yet confusing, prospects to declare in years, largely due to a severe injury history while operating Nick Saban’s offense at Alabama. But Tagovailoa has also been compared to other elite quarterbacks from the past and present such as Drew Brees, Steve Young, and Tony Romo, and it would not be a surprise to see Washington take the bait and flip the entire draft on its head by taking him much earlier than expected.

The addition of head coach Ron Rivera has potential to completely change the recent fortunes in Washington (via WTOP).

And then there is always the chance that Washington could move their selection for future draft capital and another major pick in this year’s draft. It’s obvious that Washington is in the midst of a massive rebuild, and they could really use all of the help they could get at many positions on both sides of the ball. With that being said, it would not be a stunner really at all if Washington gets some kind of cold feet on Young or Tagovailoa due to the temptation to trade down, and decides to move the #2 overall pick for a massive package. It is not entirely clear if Washington is willing to do this whatsoever, but it is not hard to envision a situation where many teams would immediately be interested in selecting in the second spot to draft a quarterback in front of other needy teams. Organizations such as the Dolphins, Chargers, Jaguars, Raiders, Colts, and Patriots immediately come to mind in this scenario and would require a massive haul of present and future draft picks, as well as the possible addition of players and compensation. If Washington were to move down and switch with another squad, the most logical fit appears to be the Chargers at #6 overall. Los Angeles clearly needs a quarterback of the future to build around and likely will need to get in front of Miami (#5) if they want to select Tagovailoa, and it makes sense that they would be an aggressive team in moving up with such a talented roster still taking the field. In this case, Washington could also set themselves up to draft another elite talent on their radar such as Jeff Okudah, Isaiah Simmons, Derrick Brown, or one of the many awesome receiving prospects available at the sixth overall slot, while also setting them up for many future drafts to come.

During his long and successful tenure with the Carolina Panthers, Rivera’s teams were often very aggressive on and off-the-field when making some key choices. After all, it earned him the notorious nickname of “Riverboat Ron” and has raised his status immensely among peers in the NFL. Meanwhile, Washington has become almost overly aggressive and somewhat reckless in recent memory, so it will be interesting to see what kind of mentality the former Bears’ linebacker brings to a team in need of a spark. If Washington is cautious and takes Young, perhaps the best player in the draft, it could possibly signal some maturity and professionalism in their ever-evolving front office. But if Washington takes a quarterback or trades their pick, it could rub off the wrong way on some players and staff in the organization that are just warming up to Rivera. In our opinion, Washington’s ideal move should be to select Young and not even consider a quarterback in this year’s draft. Although Burrow and Tagovailoa are good prospects with superstar potential, Washington should try to see what they have in Haskins for at least another year. And if he fails? The Redskins can draft another quarterback next season, especially since they don’t seem like they are in a position to contend this year. Washington could also decide to trade their pick for a big haul of picks, which would not necessarily be a bad move in the long-run. However, Young is considered the surefire star in this year’s class, and it seems like a risk that could truly backfire if they allow a team such as Detroit or New York to select him with their own pick.

Washington needs to nail this year’s draft if they want to be more competitive in the NFC East (via Hogs Haven).

Just like any other season in the rowdy and noisy NFC East, the stakes are as sky high as ever in the battle for divisional supremacy amongst rivals. Whatever the case may be for the Cowboys, Eagles, and Giants, it appears that there is going to be some immediate pressure in D.C. next season based on what happens in this draft as the result of a terrible 2019 season. If Washington takes Young and holds off on selecting a quarterback, all the pressure in the world will be on the right arm of Haskins to step up and perform at a high level to prove that the organisation was right by skipping over a player as talented as Tagovailoa. And if the organization does go out and take a quarterback to automatically replace Haskins in only his second year, Washington will face plenty of heat if they once again fail to produce a solid record that returns them to relevancy in the NFC.

This is a huge draft for the organization, and there certainly seems to be some serious doubt in the air regarding Washington’s current state of affairs. Owner Dan Snyder and the rest of the organization has faced some tough times in recent years, but this is the type of moment that can turn their fortunes around and get them right back in the mix for a Lombardi Trophy. In the present-day political climate full of turmoil, controversy, and doubt already on Capitol Hill, the city’s football team could face this exact same dilemma if their downward spiral into irrelevancy continues. Whether their future decision makes or breaks the franchise remains to be seen, but one thing is for sure: they have a big decision on their hands that requires immediate action from their leaders at the top.