Moments before the Washington Redskins were on the clock with the No. 5 selection in the NFL draft last year, Neil Cornrich asked Brandon Scherff where his cell phone was.
It was in Scherff’s pocket, and the hulking offensive tackle from Iowa would be better served if he had it ready, Cornrich told him. Through his wealth of experience as an agent, Cornrich had familiarized himself with Scot McCloughan’s draft history during various roles with the Green Bay Packers, San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks. He was enamored by two selections in particular: Running back Frank Gore in the third round in 2005 and inside linebacker Patrick Willis 11th overall in 2007, both drafted during McCloughan’s tenure with the 49ers.