So long, 2021 NFL draft. Hello, offseason. With all seven rounds in the books, front offices for all 32 teams are surely confident that they improved their rosters over the weekend. That s not always the case, though. Which rookie quarterbacks will actually play in Week 1, and which organizations found the best value on Days 2 and 3 of the draft? We ll find out in a few months when teams report for training camp.
For now, we re looking ahead to what s next for each team. What positions do all 32 still need to address, and what s still lingering ahead of the 2021 season? We asked our NFL Nation reporters to identify the biggest looming question for the team they cover. There were a few that hit on the quarterback situation what s going on in Green Bay? while others were tailored toward taking a franchise from good to great next season.
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The Washington Football goes back to the secondary with the 163rd overall pick, taking Cincinnati safety Darrick Forrest.
Forrest, who
NFL.com s Lance Zierlein called an urgent player in his draft evaluation, is a three-year starter who was an All-AAC honorable mention in 2020. He made 36 career starts for the Bearcats and recorded 200 tackles to go with 12 pass breakups and six interceptions. Forrest was a first-team All-AAC selection in 2019 for getting 106 stops, 63 of which were solo, and three interceptions. He s willing and able to play near the line of scrimmage or flow downhill quickly in order to constrict the run lane and defend the flanks against outside runs, Zierlein wrote. He s comfortable and steady from split zone and has a game that is also suited for playing down near the box.
NFL Mock Draft Roundup: Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay both go defense for Washington in the first round
Draft day mocks!
We did it! It’s draft day morning for the 2021 NFL Draft! Lying season is still in full swing, and a lot of teams are linked to trading up, trading down, and every other option out there. Everyone is posting their final mock drafts to try to get credit for predicting what 32 different teams are planning tonight.
Todd McShay takes a big swing first for the Washington Football Team and has them drafting one of the more controversial first round prospects in this year’s draft, Penn State LB Micah Parsons. He is considered the top LB by a lot of people, but red flags continue to get thrown his way throughout the draft process and he opted out of last season. It’s still no where near certain that he would even be available at #19, but if he is, and Ron Rivera selects him, it’s a huge positive check in his character column.
Darrisaw only received one FBS scholarship offer after starting for three seasons at Riverdale Baptist, but he has made the most of his time with the Hokies by becoming one of the best offensive linemen in college football. Aside from being graded as the best run-blocking offensive tackle by
Pro Football Focus in 2020, he only allowed six pressures all season. Darrisaw is exceptional with his technique, and he has enough athleticism to execute every block needed to be successful in the NFL. There are few holes in his skillset, and the expectation is that he will be a starter for whichever team drafts him.
ASHBURN, Va. The Washington Football Team needs to keep building its offense. It also has a chance to build an excellent defense.
That will be the franchise s dilemma in the first round of the 2021 NFL draft when picking at No. 19 on Thursday in Cleveland (8 p.m. ET, ESPN and the ESPN app). While offensive holes remain Washington could use a starting left tackle, a quarterback of the future, another running back and a tight end it can improve a defense that ranked in the top five last season and, perhaps, create something special.
Defensively, Senior Bowl executive director and ESPN draft analyst Jim Nagy said Washington needs a couple more blue-chip playmakers in the back seven. They got the front shored up pretty well, but just a couple playmakers at the next two levels, continue to add speed and range, because the ball will be getting out quick.