It is that time of year again. The time where the NFL reminds all other sports why they all have to suck tail pipe in the pecking order of professional sports because The NFL Draft can out do their playoff games in number of viewers. The NFL Draft is less than two weeks away and for the Redskins fan base this year, the ray of hope will be to continue to build the roster in hopes of either keeping Kirk Cousins happy or preparing for his departure. With 10 picks this year the Redskins may have a chance to do both, and I am making my predictions on who the Redskins will select with each pick. I will do one pick at a time and in reverse order so that my prediction for the Redskins's first round pick will be the last prediction I make. Please remember that I am assuming the Redskins do not trade out of any position they currently hold, and none of the
players I predicted last year were selected by the Redskins.
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 (235th Overall Selection):
Josh Tupou DT (Colorado)
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 325 lbs
40 yd: 5.35
Bench Press: 29 reps
The Redskins need defensive line help, and Tupou can provide that in a big way literally and figuratively. He is listed on NFL.com as being 325 lbs but CBS has him at 353 lbs, and the real number may be somewhere in between. Scouts have stated that his weight may be hindering him from what little lateral agility he possesses, but his job was to do one thing and he did that to great effectiveness for the Buffaloes in 2016. Tupou recorded 45 tackles, 4 TFL, and 2.0 Sacks for a defense that ranked 19th overall in the nation last year. He ate up space and filled lanes, which is something the Redskins 3-4 defense has sorely lacked since the departure of Terrance Knighton. There may be some questions as to why Colorado still managed to give up over 4 yards per rush with Tupou on the line, and there was that
issue in the Spring of 2015 that got Tupou suspended for the entire 2015 season, both of which may cause Tupou to fall to the Redskins at their last pick. However,
there are others who think that he may go in the sixth round due to his impressive production in 2016.
With the addition of Zach Brown at linebacker it would be good to add a big body that could take care of blockers up front to allow the middle linebackers to do what they do best. Josh Tupou would be able to do just that, and it would give the defensive line some depth, and possibly a part time starter that could be used to help the defense on inside run plays. His presence could also force teams to double up in the middle leaving more one-on-one blocks on the edges for pass rushers like Ryan Kerrigan. His past may drop him to the seventh round and the Redskins should take a flyer on him if he is available at the end of the draft. The Redskins could go with pretty much any position you can name at this pick, but the defensive line needs depth at nose tackle and Tupou is the right man for the job.
Tomorrow we will preview the other pick the Redskins have in the seventh round at 220th overall.
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