After a busy three days, the Washington Redskins finalized their 2015 draft class Saturday evening.
In his first season as general manager, Scot McCloughan turned seven picks into 10, adding toughness and size at multiple positions in every phase of the game. He drafted six offensive players, including three linemen, and four defensive players, including two linebackers and two defensive backs.
“You’re drafting football players, guys that love football and have a strong passion for the game,” Redskins coach Jay Gruden said. “And you have to visualize a role for them. What’s their role going to be for your football team? Is it special teams [in] year one? Develop them into a core starter? Is it competing for a starting job? Is it a nickel back? Is it a safety? What is it?
“We do have a pretty good vision for all these guys. We are excited to get in the building and see what they can do.”
Here’s a look at Washington’s 10 picks in the 2015 draft, what each will bring to the team and links to more detailed stories about them.
1st round, No. 5 overall: Iowa OL Brandon Scherff
SEE ALSO: Redskins draft Preston Smith of Mississippi State in the second round of 2015 NFL draft
The Redskins had opportunities to move down in the first round but opted to stay put and get their guy: Scherff. The Iowa native won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman in 2014, and coach Jay Gruden said he will enter 2015 as a right tackle for Washington.
Read the full story on Scherff here.
2nd round, No. 38 overall: Mississippi State LB Preston Smith
For the second consecutive year, Washington used its second-round pick on an outside linebacker. After picking Stanford’s Trent Murphy in 2014, the Redskins landed Smith, who played defensive end for the Bulldogs but will be an outside linebacker in new defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s base 3-4 scheme.
Read the full story on Smith here.
3rd round, No. 95 overall: Florida RB Matt Jones
SEE ALSO: Redskins draft Matt Jones of Florida in the third round of 2015 NFL draft
Following the departure of Roy Helu in free agency, the Redskins sought to add another running back in the draft. They got a strong, physical one in Jones, who is listed at 226 pounds. His size alone makes him difficult to take down or maneuver around in pass protection.
Read the full story on Jones here.
4th round, No. 105 overall: Duke WR Jamison Crowder
Crowder is undersized at 5 feet 9 and 175 pounds, but he’s dynamic in the return game. He was an All-American return specialist in 2013 and a second-team honoree in 2014. In total, Crowder averaged 21.1 yards per kick return and 13.4 yards per punt return during four years with the Blue Devils. He also returned four punts for touchdowns in his collegiate career. On the offensive side of the ball, Crowder finished with 283 catches for 3,641 yards and 23 touchdown catches in 52 career games. A native of Monroe, North Carolina, he profiles as a slot receiver in the NFL.
Read the full story on Crowder here.
4th round, No. 112 overall: Alabama OL Arie Kouandjio
The Redskins stayed close to home with this pick, selecting Kouandjio, a product of DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. Listed at 6 feet 5 and 315 pounds, Kouandjio started every game at left guard for the Crimson Tide last season. He was also a member of the football program’s leadership group. Kouandjio is the second offensive lineman drafted by the Redskins in 2015, joining Iowa’s Brandon Scherff, who was picked fifth overall.
Read the full story on Kouandjio here.
5th round, No. 141 overall: Arkansas LB Martrell Spaight
With the first of its two fifth-round picks, Washington nabbed Spaight, a tackling machine who profiles as an inside linebacker in the team’s 3-4 base defensive scheme. Listed at 6 feet 2 and 231 pounds, Spaight started 13 games for Arkansas last season and was a first-team All-SEC pick. He finished with 128 tackles, the most by any Razorback in more than a decade, and led his team in tackles in 10 games. A native of North Little Rock, Arkansas, he spent the first two years of his collegiate career at Coffeyville Community College, where he was a two-time junior college All-American.
Read the full story on Spaight here.
6th round, No. 181 overall: Virginia Tech S Kyshoen Jarrett
Listed at 5 feet 11 and 200 pounds, Jarrett started 38 of Virginia Tech’s 39 games over the past three years and provided stability on special teams. Last season, he led the team with 88 tackles, intercepted three passes and forced a fumble. He was the second player with local ties selected by the Redskins on Saturday, joining Alabama offensive lineman Arie Kouandjio, who played at DeMatha High School.
Read the full story on Jarrett here.
6th round, No. 182 overall: Arkansas CB Tevin Mitchel
A college teammate of Washington’s fifth-round selection, Martrell Spaight, Mitchel recorded 20 tackles, two interceptions and eight pass breakups in 11 games in 2014. Listed at 6 feet and 190 pounds, the Mansfield, Texas, native is the son of Eric Mitchel, who was drafted in the sixth round in 1989 by the New England Patriots.
Read the full story on Mitchel here.
6th round, No. 187 overall: Ohio State WR Evan Spencer
Spencer finished with 15 catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns in 2014. He’s listed at 6 feet 2 and 208 pounds. His NFL roots run deep: his older brother, Cole, is an area scout for the Redskins and his father, Tim, is an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Read the full story on Spencer here.
7th round, No. 222 overall: South Florida C Austin Reiter
Reiter missed just one snap in 2014 and was a candidate for the Rimington Award, which is presented annually to the best center in college football. His work up front in the Bulls’ offensive line helped pave the way for running back Marlon Mack, who eclipsed 1,000 yards last season.
Read the full story on Reiter here.
• Tom Schad can be reached at tschad@washingtontimes.com.
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