New Washington Redskins general manager Scot McCloughan has done a great job of addressing defensive needs this offseason. One area that still remains, however, is pass-rusher. With outside linebacker Brian Orakpo leaving in free agency this offseason, the Redskins are looking for a replacement who can compliment Ryan Kerrigan. Trent Murphy, last year's second-round pick, is a nice player but comes with some questions about his ceiling.
Nebraska's Randy Gregory has been mentioned as a possibility for the Redskins with the No. 5 overall pick despite his recent failed drug test.
"Concerns about Gregory's history of smoking marijuana could cause him to fall but this makes too much sense from a value and need standpoint," Steve Muench of Scouts Inc. wrote. "Gregory has the first-step quickness, length, upper-body strength and closing speed to develop into an upper echelon NFL edge rusher. He also has the frame to add bulk and get stronger against the run."
Although Gregory is considered one of the top pass-rusher in the draft, McCloughan is known to be a fan of bigger players. Gregory is on the light side at 235 pounds. As a result, ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. projects Washington to select Florida's Dante Fowler Jr. instead.
"Fowler's combine really sealed his status as a top-10 pick, not because he was a total freak, but because the outstanding performance there backed up plenty of good tape," Kiper wrote. "While I think he could actually be more productive, you did see consistent flashes of a player who, were he able to add more elements to his game as a pass-rusher in particular, has star potential. Fowler was also asked to move around a lot, which is another reason the sack totals are good instead of eye-popping. That said, Fowler doesn't have to be a sack machine to be a really good player, and I do think the pass rush will continue to get better, which is what the Redskins desperately need as they continue to build this defense into a more formidable unit. Better secondary play typically starts up front."
