You have to control the line of scrimmage in the NFL. It's an age old strategy that many teams have lost sight of in recent years. The Washington Redskins are especially guilty of this and the team's recent records have reflected that. The front seven have missed too many tackles and the offensive line has failed to provide adequate blocking.
That's why it's not a shock to see ESPN NFL Draft Insider Mel Kiper Jr. address those glaring holes in his latest three-round mock draft. Specifically, Kiper projects the Redskins to select Florida outside linebacker Dante Fowler (No. 5), Texas A&M offensive tackle Cedric Ogbuehi (No. 38) and South Carolina guard A.J. Cann (No. 69).
"If there's been one thing that defines our defense in Washington over the past couple of seasons, it's been a lack of physical play up front and a ton of bad tackling pretty much everywhere," Kiper wrote. "Fowler doesn't just bring the presence of a pass-rusher - in reality, he still has a ways to go to be really good in that area - he also is just a relentless battler up front, is versatile and is going to help us against the run, where we were simply awful last year. Combine him with the big bodies we've added in free agency and there's reason for optimism. Maybe we don't have certainty at the QB position, but adding Ogbuehi (a first-round talent available in Round 2 because of a knee injury) and Cann will help up front. In rebuilding this roster, my focus is on the trenches, and I think free agency and these picks start the process of improvement."
Fowler will help to replace the departed Brian Orakpo. The former Gator is considered the most well-rounded edge player in the draft. Ogbuehi and Cann will hopefully improve an offensive line that ranked just 19th in adjusted line yards (which measures run-blocking ability), 27th in short-yardage rushing and 31st in adjusted sack rate, according to Football Outsiders. In fact, those rankings may be a reason why the Redskins are also interested in free agent center Stefen Wisniewski.
The NFL Draft will kick off on April 30.
