Washington Football Team 2021 NFL Mock Draft Roundup 8.0
Throughout the year and leading up to the 2021 NFL draft, we will update our Washington Football Team Mock Draft Roundup showing picks for the Washington Football Team from several prominent sites and draft analysts.
The following are picks in recent mock drafts for Washington:
As a linebacker-safety hybrid, Owusu-Koramoah is a defensive playmaker that would provide Ron Rivera and Jack Del Rio with plenty of versatility. An explosive athlete with outstanding coverage range, Owusu-Koramoah had 24.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, five forced fumbles, four fumble recoveries and an interception over the past two seasons.
The signing of Curtis Samuel means Washington likely won't take Florida receiver Kadarius Toney, who has a similar skill set, and there really isn't another receiver in this range. And other big need areas don't have any value here either, including quarterback, linebacker and tight end. I think it's slightly early for Darrisaw -- a smooth and powerful zone blocker -- but he is certainly one of the top tackles, and Washington would be able to beat the OT rush that likely begins toward the end of Round 1.
With the addition of quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, wide receiver Curtis Samuel and cornerback William Jackson III in free agency, Washington is in a good position to defend its surprising NFC East title. Adding a playmaker like JOK, who can excel at both safety and linebacker, could help the defense make a leap from good to great.
Another team still looking to upgrade at the QB position, they may not be drafting 19th come draft night. For now, we will keep them here and go with the most productive college linebacker in the draft.
The reigning Bronko Nagurski and Chuck Bednarik Award winner showed he has the ability and range to make plays all over the field as evidenced by his 53.5 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, and four interceptions, returning two of those for touchdowns. One knock on him is his ability, or lack thereof, to take on blocks, but that should be mitigated playing behind a very stout Washington defensive line.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and say Taylor Heinicke isn't the quarterback of the future for the Football Team -- or Ryan Fitzpatrick for that matter -- but there's not a QB on the board worthy of this pick. Owusu-Koramoah is an explosive athlete who can make plays from sideline-to-sideline. The ACC Defensive Player of the Year also won the Butkus Award (nation's top linebacker) and was a consensus All-American.
WR Curtis Samuel was a nice free-agent signing to relieve some of the burden on Terry McLaurin (and TE Logan Thomas), but why not a deep-threat toy for gunslinger Ryan Fitzpatrick?
Washington was one of my big winners in free agency, as it signed journeyman quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and added speedy receiver Curtis Samuel. It could continue its offseason offensive rebuild by grabbing Vera-Tucker, an athletic and versatile lineman who could start at either left guard or left tackle.
Washington needs long-term answers at two key positions on offense: quarterback and left tackle. They're out of range for the top players at the former, but they're in a good spot to find the latter. Christian Darrisaw moves well for a 6-5, 314-pound tackle, and he has the length to be a solid pass protector.
