The Washington Redskins didn’t receive a trade package enticing enough to consider moving off the second overall pick, and even then, they might not have done it.
That’s what Redskins coach Ron Rivera said Thursday hours after his team selected pass rusher Chase Young. Washington saw three players in this year’s draft as capable of creating an immediate impact, but none more so than Young, Rivera said.
If the Redskins had traded back, they almost certainly wouldn’t have had a shot to grab the 21-year-old.
“I felt that Chase was the one guy that really could carry the load for us, as far as that pick,” Rivera said. “From my perspective, it would have been very, very hard to convince me that somebody else was as impactful as the guy that we drafted.”
Rivera agreed with Young’s assessment that the Redskins took the best player in the draft.
By the time the Redskins got on the clock to make their selection, Rivera said the team’s choice was all but a formality. Washington had spent months studying Young, impressed from their meetings at the combine to the glowing reviews he got from those at Ohio State to the skill demonstrated in games. The Redskins believe Young can unlock the rest of their defense.
Still, even with the predictability of the selection, there was plenty of speculation throughout the offseason whether Washington would trade down to gather additional assets. Coming off a 3-13 season, the Redskins face a long list of roster needs and some argued that a bevy of draft picks would help accelerate a rebuild.
At the scouting combine, Rivera also raised eyebrows when he didn’t dismiss the idea of the Redskins using the second pick to draft a quarterback. The comments further raised questions of whether Washington was truly committed to starter Dwayne Haskins, the team’s first-round choice from last year.
But on Thursday, Rivera said their exploration at the position was about due diligence.
“That’s the biggest thing,” he said. Washington had also seemed to signal their intentions weeks earlier when it acquired Kyle Allen from the Carolina Panthers — creating competition for Haskins and giving them another arm on the roster.
As for moving back, another factor that prevented a deal was the types of teams interested in making a trade. Rivera told the team’s draft broadcast that of the offers they did receive, most would have resulted in the Redskins moving down to the second half of the first round.
“You’re not going to get the type of player you’re talking about right now,” Rivera said. “That’s the thing that you really can’t do. If you move that far back, your top guys aren’t going to be there.”
Rivera added that he thought there would be “really good” players available in that range, ones who could stick in the NFL for a long time — but none who could be a true difference-maker right away.
The Redskins felt like they got that with Young.
“Nothing was enticing enough to even consider (trading back),” Rivera said.
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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