Redskins 2018 Draft Special Round 7 (Pick 231)

In a 3-4 Defense you can never have too many linebackers, and this one may be hard to pass on if he is there at 231.

Note: All scouting information comes from CBS Sports , NFL Combine Results Page, plus help from Walter Football,  Ourlads, Drafttek, and DraftScout.  Please check these sites out for all the work that they do in informing all of us laypeople about every possible college prospect.

Round 7 (231st Overall Selection):  Keishawn Bierria    LB    (Washington)
Height: 6'2"   Weight: 230 lbs   40 yd: 4.79   Bench Press: 16 reps    Vert: 30.5

Not the flashiest pick, but someone who can get the job done.  Keishawn Bierria was actually one of the mid to lower performing linebackers at the combine, but his skill set lies outside of pure athleticism.  Bierria is noted as having a high football IQ after playing in a majority of every season since 2014 at Washington.  Scouts note his ability to diagnose plays and see things before they happen.  He is good at reading misdirection, and he possesses good closing speed and aggressiveness at the point of attack that allowed him to be around the ball more often than naught (5 fumble recoveries in 2016 and 7 for his career).  The most important feature that the Redskins should covet this late in the draft is his work ethic and his high leadership qualities.  Bierria was only the fifth player in 110 years to win Washington's Guy Flaherty Most Inspirational Award twice.  The trade off is that Bierria is low on the athletic spectrum.  Scouts note that he can be beat on the edge by pure speed, and that he is more reactive than aggressive.  This gives him a small margin for error that will get even smaller at the NFL level, and it makes it so that he may need to be moved inside to play more to his skill set.  Despite these athletic shortcomings, the Redskins would be crazy to pass on Bierria at this pick.

You either need to draft for skill or intangibles, and Bierria is the latter.  A shot of work ethic may be what the inside linebacking corps of this team needs considering what has transpired over the past year.  Zach Brown needed a little more time to think about coming back than Redskins fans would have liked, and lets not forget that Mason Foster's little rant after he was shut down for the season back in October made people think he did not want to come back here.  With these two players being the starters this season it may be beneficial for the Redskins to choose high character over high skill set at this pick.  Bierria brings much more than character, though, and the Redskins should take him as someone who can progress from a college playmaker to an NFL playmaker.