Redskins Draft Special Round 6 (Pick 209)

The Texans must have really wanted Will Fuller bad.  The Texans swapped picks with the Redskins last year to take Fuller at #21 and we selected Josh Doctson at #22.  The bonus for the Redskins in making that trade is we get to select this future Hall of Famer with the 209th pick instead of The Texans.

Note: All scouting information comes from CBS Sports and NFL Combine Results Page.  I used the overall rankings on the CBS site to determine who would possibly be available in each round.  For example, if the player was rated 50th overall on the CBS site then I would assume that they would not be available in the 3rd round where the Redskins pick 81st.

Round 6 (209th Overall Selection):  Josh Harvey-Clemons    Safety    (Louisville)
Height: 6'4"   Weight: 217 lbs   40 yd: 4.76   Vert: 31.5"

The first of at least two players that I will propose the Redskins select that has played for more than one FBS team.  Josh Harvey-Clemons was a five star recruit who committed to Georgia and played there between 2012-2013, but ran into a wee bit of trouble that caused him to be dismissed from the team after the 2013 season and it had nothing to do with the fact that he was the safety involved in the Prayer at Jordan Hare.  He transferred to Louisville where he ended his collegiate career in 2016 sans drama and decent stats his senior year (37 Tackles, 3.0 TFL, 1.0 SCK, 1 PD).  It is his size, athleticism, and toughness the Redskins should covet.  He is a tall safety whose arm length is described as being that of an offensive lineman.  Scouts describe him as a rangy tackler who can change direction quickly when tackling or in coverage, and a hard hitter who does not slow down or avoid contact.  They also note his ability to drop back into coverage on play actions, and his ability to adjust coverage when a quarterback begins to scramble.  Clemons is not without his negatives, however, most notably his apparent affinity for marijuana. But he has been described as being late to cover deep routes, and is better suited to be a box safety that can come up in run support or cover more mid level routes.  Scouts note that he is late to reacting to throws when he is the single high safety so he may not fit the mold of a true free safety in the NFL.

Clemons sounds like a poor man's Su'a Cravens, and we already signed Swearinger, so where is the benefit in drafting a guy like Clemons who has the same skill set? My counter question is, do you feel comfortable rolling with DeAngelo Hall or Will Blackmon if one of those guys goes down?  Clemons adds depth and an elite level mentality.  Scouts note that he plays with high intensity and swagger with the athleticism to back it up.  Both Cravens and Hall are coming off of an injury plagued season, so it may not be out of the question to add an insurance policy in the sixth round that can mirror the skill set of Cravens in order to lessen the impact of his absence if that occurs.  Plus Hall and Blackmon are not getting any younger, and the Redskins should look to add depth at safety that they can groom into a possible starter.  Clemons has had trouble in the past but it is worth taking the risk at the 209th pick if he is available.