The NFL Draft is a fickle process. It's not easy to separate first-round busts from late-round gems, but some teams have proven to be better at scouting than others. The Washington Redskins, like any team, have hit some home runs and struck out on other picks. They've also traded their first-round picks more than any other team, and have given up five since 2002. Here are their last 10 first-round picks, and where they are now:
2002 - Patrick Ramsey, QB, Tulane - Pick #32
Yes, Washington's last 10 first-round picks takes us all the way to 2002, when the Redskins drafted Ramsey to take over then-head coach Steve Spurrier's "Fun'N'Gun" offense. Instead, he was in and out of the starting job during his entire four years in Washington, and was eventually demoted to Mark Brunell's backup one game into the 2005 season. From there, he played on the Jets, Broncos, Titans, Lions, Saints, Jaguars, Dolphins, and Vikings before ultimately falling out of the league following the 2010 season.
2004 - Sean Taylor, S, Miami - Pick #5
Easily the most tragic story in recent memory, Taylor had emerged as one of the league's best safeties and made the Pro Bowl in his third season. He was cementing himself has the best safety in the entire league in 2007, his fourth season, until he was fatally shot during a home burglary. Five people were arresting in the killing.
RIP to one of the best we never got to see reach his full potential:
2005 - Carlos Rogers, CB, Auburn - Pick #9
Rogers emerged as a starter halfway through his rookie season and was a vital part of Washington's secondary through the 2010 season. However, he left the team to sign with the 49ers as a free agent in 2011, when he was selected to his lone Pro Bowl, and played three seasons in San Francisco. He last played with the Oakland Raiders in 2014.
2005 - Jason Campbell, QB, Auburn - Pick #25
Picked to be Washington's franchise quarterback after the Ramsey debacle, Campbell earned his first start in November of his rookie season. He remained as the Redskins' starter through the 2009 season, but was traded to the Oakland Raiders in 2010 after Washington acquired free agent Donovan McNabb. Campbell played two seasons in Oakland, losing his starting job after just two weeks. He then spent one year each with the Bears, Browns, and Bengals from 2012-2014 as a backup.
2007 - LaRon Landry, SS, LSU - Pick #6
Landry started immediately alongside Sean Taylor as a rookie and remained as one of Washington's best defensive players through 2009, but injuries cut his 2010 and 2011 seasons short. The Redskins let him leave as a free agent following the 2012 season and he signed a one-year deal with the Jets, where he made the only Pro Bowl of his career.
Landry turned that into a four-year deal with the Indianapolis Colts, but they cut him following the 2014 season after he tested postivie for PEDs. He then again tested positive for PEDs as a free agent in November, which resulted in an indefinite ban from the league.
2009 - Brian Orakpo, OLB/DE, Texas - Pick #13
Orakpo was a menace with the Redskins, making the Pro Bowl three times, including in his rookie year. However, he suffered a torn pectoral muscle in three straight seasons (2012-2014), which caused Washington to let him walk as a free agent after the 2014 season. He signed a four-year deal with the Titans before the 2015 season, where he is a defensive captain.
2010 - Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma - Pick #4
Williams is arguably the best left tackle in the league and has been a starter since he was drafted. He has deliverd on all the pre-draft promise, making four consecutive Pro Bowls from 2012 through 2015. Williams signed a five-year, $66 million extension with the Redskins on August 29, 2015.
2011 - Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue - Pick #16
Kerrigan made the conversion from defensive end to outside linebacker during his rookie year, and it paid dividends for the Redskins. He started every game his rookie year and was one of the best young linebackers in the league and made the Pro Bowl the following season. All in all, he has started all 16 games in all five career seasons with the Redskins, and made the Pro Bowl for the second time as an alternate in 2015.
2012 - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor - Pick #2
Washington gave up three first-round picks and a second-round pick to move up and draft Griffin, and it looked like that move was going to pay off as he had a stellar rookie season, winning Rookie of the Year and being named a Pro Bowler while leading the Redskins to a NFC East title. However, he suffered a torn ACL in their loss to the Seahawks in their first playoff game, which set the tone for the disappointing years since.
Griffin made a huge effort to be back to start Week 1 of the 2013 season, which he did, but was largely ineffective as the injury was obviously having lingering effects, which caused him to be benched for the last three games of the season. Injuries limited him to just seven games in 2014, and he went just 2-5 as the starter.
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden decided to demote him in favor of Kirk Cousins this season after Griffin suffered a concussion in the preseason, and Griffin was inactive for the entire season. Washington is expected to cut him this offseason.
2015 - Brandon Schreff, OT, Iowa - Pick #5
Schreff was a solid, safe pick for the Redskins after the RGIII mess as he started all 16 games for Washington this year while helping them win the NFC East.
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