BBV Community Mock Draft 2011: With The 10th Pick, Washington Selects ...

Julio Jones, WR, Alabama.

Playing the role of general manager for the Washington Redskins is 'jacalifiore.' Here is his rationale for the selection of Jones:

The Washington Redskins have been one of the storied franchises in the NFL over the years, but since the 2000 season, they have enjoyed only 2 winning seasons. That's 11 years worth of angry hogs. The Redskins fanbase will look for a sexy pick here, someone that can give them some shred of hope as a "can't miss" prospect. In this case, it helps that they're picking 10th overall. I think the 'Skins brass should try to trade down from this spot so they get more picks in higher rounds as they have no 3rd or 4th round picks, but who knows what will work in this draft, especially with the ego-maniac Dan Snyder at the helm (please don't sue me, Mr. Snyder). There is no fanbase in the NFL that has more distance between them and the team owner, so I'm almost inclined to pick against my gut on this one, but let's wait and see, shall we?

If the Redskins had to flip a coin to see what position they should draft based on need, that coin would have at least 8 sides: OG, RB, LBz, DT, DE, QB, K, WR. Let's start with the Defense.

The transition from a 4-3 to a 3-4 left the Redskins with the 27th overall defense in the league last year, per Football Outsiders. They just did not have the personnel for the 3-4 defense, but they seem to be actively trying to change that. As usual, the Redskins dove into the free agency pool, trying to be offseason champions once again, and picked up one of the bigger names they could find: O.J. Otogwe. Picking up a really good safety is a good start, but there are many more spots that the Redskins need to upgrade (see aforementioned coin reference). Haynesworth may be the size of the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man on the D-Line, but his style is not prototypical to a 3-4 DT; he excels in rushing the QB. I thought about going with Robert Quinn here, but I couldn't bring myself to pick defense with the first round pick for the Skins, since they struggle so mightily to score points.

Football Outsiders rated the Redskins offense as 25th in the league in 2010, not much better than the D. A big reason for that is the QB play. Donovan McNabb had his growing pains with the Redskins, and clearly didn't accept Shanahan's excuses to bench him late in the season (cardiovascular issues...huh?). Expect McNabb to be in a place like Minnesota or Arizona next year, if a fair trade can be made - of course, this would only happen if a new CBA is reached...sigh. Even with the mangled management of McNabb, and the thought of having Rex Grossman or John Beck starting at QB this year (Tuck and Osi are circling their calendars already), there just aren't any quality QBs (in my opinion) to pick up at this point with Newtown and Gabbert gone; they could most likely try to grab a QB in the 2nd or later without reaching here. I don't see the Skins picking up another lineman in the first round, since they secured their LT of the future in Trent Williams, but I do see them selecting a guard, center, and/or possibly a backup tackle in the later rounds. WR is a strong area of concern. Their most consistent Redskins receiver, Santana Moss, is not likely to return next year, making their #1 receiver...Anthony Armstrong. After that, you're left with: 5'7" Brandon Banks, who is a good punt/kick returner; Malcolm Kelly, who has his personal physician working overtime; and the rest of them have yet to see much game action in the NFL.

WR could fit the "best needed player available", so with the 10th selection of the 2011 Big Blue View Community Mock Draft, I pick Julio Jones, WR, Alabama. Jones had an impressive combine, running a 40-yard dash time of 4.39...with a fractured foot. What's even more impressive is that he's listed at 6'4" and 220lbs. That's a big, fast presence, and another solid red zone target. He could be a starting WR right away, and with that speed, could be the DeSean Jackson-like player that McNabb could throw bombs downfield to...you know, if McNabb is still around. The 'Skins don't have a good recent history of picking up WRs in the early rounds of the draft, but I think they turn it around and select someone that looks like a "can't miss" prospect in Julio Jones.

My take: I can't really argue with this pick. The Redskins don't have much in the way of weapons in the passing game, and we know how much teams need play makers on the outside.

Round 1

Round 2