The Redskins spent their fifth round pick in the NFL Draft on Saturday on Tulane wide receiver Ryan Grant.
The NFL.com scouting report lauds Grant for “one of the best pair of hands in the draft.” But, while strongly built, he doesn’t have great size. And he’s not exactly a speed demon with a 4.62 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine in March.
Grant was watching the draft while working out at a gym when he saw the Redskins drafted him. He’d met with Jay Gruden and his staff during the combine and said that talk went well. Grant expected to go in the fourth or fifth round, though most scouting services had him in the sixth or seventh.
Grant caught 77 passes for the Green Wave with 1,039 yards and nine touchdowns to lead the team in all categories. Tulane finished 7-6 overall. Twice Grant topped 75 receptions in his career and was first-team All-Conference USA. But he appears to have limited chance to see action on the field this season.
With Pierre Garcon, DeSean Jackson, Andre Roberts, Santana Moss and Leonard Hankerson all in place, there will be stiff competition for one of the final one or two spots on the roster. Grant said he played special teams during his first two seasons at Tulane, but not much since. His hands allow him to make “NFL caliber” catches, according to NFL.com.
“I think God blessed me with some great hands,” Grant said. “When I was younger I always had pretty big hands and I was always good catching the ball. I think I was born with that talent. But I’m a hard worker and I try to get better by the day.”
• Brian McNally can be reached at bmcnally@washingtontimes.com.
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