Redskins receive mixed draft grades

The consensus is in for the Redskins’ 2020 draft: Eh.

In a roundup of 22 different NFL draft grades, the Redskins ranked 18th league-wide, according to Twitter user Rene Bugner. That’s down from 2018 and 2019, when Washington finished first both years.

Washington’s class of eight players — highlighted by Ohio State’s Chase Young with the second overall pick — earned a 2.9 grade point average. Bugner compiles grades from different articles and then averages the value based on 4.0 scale.

Last year’s rookie class earned the Redskins a 3.74 GPA.

This year, the Dallas Cowboys were the runaway winners of the draft as experts gave them a 3.88 GPA.

The Redskins have said they are happy with their selections, with coach Ron Rivera praising executive Kyle Smith for setting the team’s draft board. Smith has overseen the Redskins’ draft board for the last three drafts, taking over from Scott Campbell in 2018.

“I thought that the communication between Kyle and I as he was setting the final board was exactly what you look for, because then as you go through the process you should see things quite close to one another,” Rivera said. “And again, it’s because we worked through the process. We didn’t go through this and not be prepared for that conversation. I thought we talked ourselves through a lot of things.”

Nationally, NFL pundits have varied opinions on how the Redskins’ draft turned out. Of the 22 grades that Bunger found, the Redskins received four A-s, five B+s, five Bs, one B-, four C+s, two Cs and one D+.

In general, experts agreed that Young was a no-brainer, while also praising Washington for its fourth-round selection of Liberty’s Antonio Gandy-Golden.

But some took issue with the fact that the Redskins didn’t draft a tight end (They later signed LSU’s Thaddeus Moss) and also dinged them for the return they received for Pro Bowl tackle Trent Williams.

Here’s a sample of what experts had to say:

NFL.com: A- “Washington decided to pick the draft’s best defender in Young instead of an uber-talented quarterback in Tua Tagovailoa,” writes Chad Reuter. “The progress of last year’s first-round pick, Dwayne Haskins, will determine whether the franchise ultimately made the right choice.”

USA Today: A- Nate Davis says the Redskins deserve credit for not trading back from the No. 2 pick, calling Chase Young “a man who should elevate a defense teeming with potential.” He thought Rivera did a “nice job” with his first draft with the Redskins.

Sports Illustrated: B+ Andy Benoit liked the Redskins’ third-round selection Memphis’ Antonio Gibson, noting, “Washington drafted a younger version of (Chris) Thompson; a dynamic receiving back can be a good friend for a young pocket passer like Dwayne Haskins.”

Pro Football Focus: B The advanced analytics website noted the new weapons for Redskins quarterback Dwayne Haskins, saying Gibson’s versatility makes him a “nightmare to defend” and loved Gandy-Golden’s “enormous catch radius.” Analyst Mike Renner also called Young a future Hall of Famer.

ESPN: C+ Mel Kiper agreed the Redskins “couldn’t pass on Young,” but dinged them for not having a second-round pick. He thinks fourth-rounder Saadhiq Charles could become Washington’s future starter at left tackle, though added the LSU’s tape was inconsistent.

Establish The Run: D+ The fantasy football website was unimpressed with the Redskins, blasting them for failing to address the “glaring holes at offensive line, defensive back, tight end, and wide receiver.” Evan Silva, the site’s lead expert, doesn’t think Gandy-Golden will pan out due to his 4.6 speed and criticized Washington for taking Gibson too high.

NFL.com: A-

Sporting News: B-

Pro Football Focus: B

The Draft Wire: B+

Sports Illustrated: B+

NJ.com: A-

Houston Chronicle: B

Touchdown Wire: A-

SB Nation: B+

Washington Post: B

CBS Sports: B

New York Post: C+

ESPN: C+

SPOX: C+

YahooSports: B+

USA Today: A-

Denver Post: C

Roto World: B

Establish The Run: D+

Roto World: B+

Fantasy Pros: C+

Sideline Reporter: C

The full chart can be found here:

🚨 2020 NFL Draft | Team Grades
💡 UPDATED version with 22 total evaluations

Now including the grades by:@McClain_on_NFL@PriscoCBS@adrianbb89 🇩🇪@Eric_Edholm@phillip_heilman@HaydenWinks@evansilva@MikeTagliereNFL@sidelinerep 🇩🇪

Thanks for your work - much appreciated 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/rgs3NpEA1e

— René Bugner (@RNBWCV) April 28, 2020