It's draft day 2013, coming just one day after every other team's draft day 2013. Let's lock in on some names the Redskins may focus on.
LB Arthur Brown
Along with TE Travis Kelce of Cincinnati, the Kansas State product would fill the hole on the roster that has been missing since the team non-tendered Byron Westbrook: obscure brother of a more famous Eagles player.
Brown fits the inside linebacker position of the Redskins perfectly. Nominally, he'd pay the "middle linebacker" position in this defense, although in a 4-3 system he'd more technically be a weakside LB. He can run with tight ends down the field, attack the quarterback downhill, and is perhaps the best open field tackler in this draft. Which, at the end of the day, is the kind of thing that every team needs: blocking, and tackling.
LB Manti Te'o
Te'o isn't quite the system fit that Arthur Brown is, but he might have a better chance of being there when the Redskins pick at 51 overall, and he's a better overall football player than Arthur Brown. Manti Te'o is a very young London Fletcher clone. He probably lacks Fletcher's overall football intelligence, but certainly isn't lacking his football instincts. There may be value in the abiity to have Manti wreck people on special teams for a year while London Fletcher pushes his consecutive starts streak as far as he can.
OLB Jamie Collins
Perhaps the most underrated remaining pass rusher on draft boards. Tank Carridine of FSU has garnered a lot more attention than Collins has, but Collins was a do-it-all defensive end for Southern Miss who would give the Redskins some leverage in Brian Orakpo contract talks. I know that the Redskins would rather wait until the third round to draft Collins if they could, because he has no obvious role until sub-packages, but players who rush the quarterback well are incredibly valuable regardless of how many edge rushers you already have on your roster.
WR Justin Hunter
Has the profile and makeup to be a major touchdown scorer in the NFL. Would profile in immediately as Pierre Garcon's backup, and then a year or two down the road, could be a cheaper, more realistic option for a team that is going to have to switch it's salary structure from receiver-dominated to quarterback-dominated.
WR Stedman Bailey
Could help the Redskins win, immediately. He's not a Garcon-replacement, but if you take a look at the Redskins contract situation at receiver, both Santana Moss and Josh Morgan are scheduled to be free agents next year. Morgan may be a mid-season extension candidate depending on his performance, but Bailey is the top receiver in this draft to some people (and near the top for me), and could slot in for Josh Morgan very early on in his career. He would be a great value pick for the Redskins at 51.
Trading down
I'd put heavy odds on the Redskins to trade down from 51. There are just so many players I like still available that it's too easy to target a player at 51 that can really help. The Redskins may be able to do more damage about 7-8 picks later, or even trading down into the very top of round three.
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