The Redskins have been widely praised for last week’s draft that saw the franchise take quarterback Dwayne Haskins at No. 15 without having to trade up, followed by a move to jump back into the first round for Montez Sweat, a pass rusher many consider a top 10 talent.
One Twitter user, Rene Bugner, compiled 18 different draft grades — finding the Redskins tied for the highest “GPA” in the league at 3.74. The New York Post and Bleacher Report gave the Redskins an “A+,” while USA Today and SB Nation each handed out an A-.
That would have been hard to imagine in the hours leading up to the draft amid reports of owner Dan Snyder “taking over.”
But for all the praise, Washington’s 10 picks don’t plug every hole on the roster.
At free safety, for example, it’s still unclear what the Redskins plan to do next season.
“We have five pretty good safeties,” coach Jay Gruden said. “We’ll address it probably as the college free agents go. We’ll probably get a couple there.”
The Redskins announced Tuesday they had signed eight undrafted free agents — only one of which is a safety (University of Washington’s JoJo McIntosh).
The Redskins now have six safeties under contract, but they seem to be missing the type of rangy, deep cover player that most teams covet. Washington has maintained Landon Collins — the team’s marquee free agent signing this offseason — is capable of playing both spots, but his skill set seems best utilized by letting him make plays close to the line of scrimmage.
Washington’s best option could be Montae Nicholson, a 2017 fourth-rounder who showed a lot of promise just two years ago as a rookie. But the Redskins don’t know if they can depend on Nicholson, given he was arrested and charged with misdemeanor assault and battery in December.
Nicholson, too, wasn’t as impactful in 2018. The Redskins traded for safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix mid season and Nicholson’s role was largely reduced. The Redskins tried to re-sign Clinton-Dix, but the 26-year-old signed a one-year, $3.5 million with the Chicago Bears in March.
“Montae Nicholson has some things he needs to clean up and we don’t know,” senior vice president of player personnel Doug Williams said before the draft. “It’s unfair to put him in anywhere right now until he can take care of himself.”
Asked about Nicholson after the draft, Gruden said he expected the Michigan State product would be ready for the season. As of this moment, Nicholson is the favorite to start, if truly available.
Beyond Nicholson, the Redskins also have Troy Apke, Jeremy Reaves and Deshazor Everett. Of that group, Everett is the most experienced — starting 11 career games, three of which came last season. But the Redskins view Everett as more of a special teams ace. And when he’s on the field, Everett has been inconsistent and more of a box safety.
Apke, on the other hand, will have to make major strides to see playing time next season. The 2018 fourth-rounder was limited to just two games last season, missing most of the year with a hamstring injury. Despite his above-average speed, Apke is considered to be very raw.
As for Reaves, he’s also a developmental prospect. He spent time on the practice squad and on the 53-man roster last year.
If the Redskins aren’t satisfied at the position, there are still some notable free agents available — including former Kansas City Chiefs star Eric Berry. But the Redskins only have $12 million in salary cap room, and that’s before they’ve signed their rookie class. That’s likely out of Berry’s price range.
In the meantime, the Redskins will enjoy the feedback they’ve received about their draft. Team president Bruce Allen even appears to be on something of a victory tour — appearing on ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday.
“Time will tell, obviously, but we’re excited about the guys we have,” Gruden said.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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