Redskins Draft Special Round 7 (Pick 220)

Who knew that the Derek Carrier trade would resonate all the way to the 2017 Draft?  If you can believe it, Carrier cost us our 5th round pick this year (#161 overall) in exchange for this seventh round pick.  Hopefully, the Redskins can make the most of it, considering we got very little from Carrier himself.

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 7 (220th Overall Selection):  John Toth    C    (Kentucky)
Height: 6'5"   Weight: 307 lbs   40 yd: 5.51   Bench:  21 reps

Why draft a center when The Redskins signed a perfectly good back up center in Ronald Patrick?  Competition.  Spencer Long may need someone to back him up this season at center and John Toth (pronounced TOE-th) may be the guy to fill that back up position, or at least push Patrick Ronald to do his best.  Toth had 48 starts in 49 games for the Wildcats and was a four year starter who held his own against elite SEC defenders including the Alabama defensive front.  The assessment of Toth's overall skills vary depending on who you ask, but his awareness and toughness are not in question.  His experience as a starter has honed his ability to identify blitzes, and he has been characterized as a hard worker who looks to work especially hard in pass protection.  Toth also utilizes his length to keep defenders at a distance, and is strong enough to hold blocks on the inside.  Concerns arise from his agility and foot work.  Scouts are concerned about his ability to reach the second level, and his fit in a more dynamic zone based run scheme is questionable.  His athletic prowess is limited, but scouts state that his experience and awareness could outweigh his athletic limitations.

Despite a crowded Center position, it is not out of the question to draft a guy that could be groomed to take over as Center in the future or push current players to their highest potential.  Toth seems like the type of player Scot McCloughan wanted to add to this team, and if center does not work there are hints that he could move to guard if given the proper coaching.  His pedigree playing in the SEC may have him go higher than this position, but the Redskins need to add depth on the offensive line, and to get a guy with Toth's experience at this part in the draft would be a steal.  Toth would, at the very least, be a project that the Redskins could mold over time, and he is someone who would add a level of work ethic, toughness, and insurance to the Redskins offensive line