If the Redskins address their offensive line early in the draft, they’ll target a right tackle.But with no pick in the first round and perhaps other pressing issues to address in the second, Washington might have to wait until the third or fourth round to pick a tackle.
If that’s the case, ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper said there are two names to watch (as of now): North Carolina’s Brennan Williams and Boston College’s John Wetzel.
In October, the 6-foot-7, 315-pound Williams needed season-ending surgery to repair a torn labrum in his shoulder. He started 22 games for the Tar Heels. His father, Brent, played in the NFL with New England, Seattle and the New York Jets. Before Williams’ injury, some experts projected him as a potential first-round pick.
As for the 6-foot-8, 303-pound Wetzel, he sounds more like a later-round project. Here’s another report on Wetzel, who played left tackle in 2011 before moving to the right side. The Redskins took a project last season in sixth-round choice Tom Compton. If they’re going to upgrade, it would be better to do it in the top three or four rounds.
“I want to see who’s the first team to pull the trigger on [the right tackles] because they are good players,” Kiper said. “D.J. Fluker being the top guy coming out of Alabama, who, I thought, even in pass protection this year, did a heck of a job. That was the question mark with him. Incredibly long arms. Physical, tough player. I thought he held up a lot better in pass protection than people thought he would.
“Then you have [Florida St.'s] Menelik Watson, a kid who’s a great story. He came out of really nowhere to move up the draft board to the point where he could be a first-round pick. Huge kid. A physically imposing bookend with real good feet for a player his size.
Next Story
