The Washington Redskins finished 2017 with a 7-9 record, but have hopes to return to the playoffs in 2018. The offseason for Washington has already been a busy one when they traded for quarterback Alex Smith, which means that Kirk Cousins will be gone and some major changes are coming for the Redskins. To make a leap as one of the best teams in the NFC, they will also need to draft the right pieces. As such, here are four players they need to avoid in the first round of the NFL Draft:
1) Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU
The Redskins need quality weapons on the outside and may look to add one in the first round, and that may cause them to reach for a talented big receiver in Sutton. They shouldn't. Not that Sutton isn't a quality receiver, but I doubt he'll turn into the legitimate No. 1 option you'd expect a receiver picked in the top 15 to be.
2 Leighton Vander Esch, LB, Boise State
A big concern for the Redskins entering the season was their talent and depth at the linebacker position and will likely look to the draft to find a potential starter and some depth. 2018 is a talented draft class at the linebacker position, but selecting Vander Esch in the first round would be a bit of a stretch. He had a great year in 2017 with 141 tackles, 8.5 tackles for a loss, four sacks, four passes broken up and three interceptions, but he simply isn't worth a pick in the top 15.
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3) Orlando Brown, OT, Oklahoma
Washington would be smart to invest in keeping Alex Smith upright. Brown is a big boy, standing 6-foot-8 and weighing 360 pounds. Despite Brown's size, he struggles with speedy edge rushers and isn't very versatile. If the Redskins take him, there's a solid chance they'll be disappointed.
3) Connor Williams, OT, Texas
Another offensive lineman, Williams is on this list for a different reason - he missed most of his junior year with a sprained PCL and MCL, and the jury is out on how Williams will recover from those injuries. He stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 315 pounds, which is great size for a lineman but he battles in the trenches with some of the strongest players in the league and hasn't been able to stay healthy. Williams is talented, but the injury concerns should scare the Redskins away, especially in the first round.
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