Until Monday, Ron Rivera didn’t have a TV in his Virginia home.
The Redskins coach was in the process of moving and his house remained mostly empty until his belongings arrived from Charlotte earlier this week. Before then, the coach spent the last few weeks alone inside, glued to laptop and iPad as part of his preparation for the NFL draft, writing up reports on prospects after watching hours upon hours of film.
The work provided clarity.
On a “Zoom” call with reporters Tuesday, Rivera said he has an idea “in the back my mind” of what the Redskins will do with the second overall pick when the NFL draft begins in just over two weeks. The 58-year-old provided a caveat that there’s still much to think about, but Rivera sounded like he knew which way he’s leaning.
And Rivera doesn’t appear to have much interest in trading down.
“If you’re going to make a trade and you’re going to go back, that guy you’re going to take at that spot has to be able to make the kind of impact you need to validate missing an opportunity to take a player that’s a high-impact guy,” Rivera said. “You’ve got to be able to sit there and say that the next guy that I’m going to take is going to be that high-impact guy, and that’s what I’m looking for.
“That’s what I believe we need — we need a guy that’s going to come in and really change our football team.”
Rivera said there are just a “few” prospects in this year’s class that qualify as high-impact players.
The Redskins, of course, are in the prime position to take Chase Young, the Ohio State pass rusher and Maryland native largely considered to be a generational defensive line talent. Rivera didn’t name Young on his call, but his comments do nothing to dispel a rumor from Bleacher Report that the Redskins would need to have a “major change” in their thinking to not pick the 20-year-old.
Rivera even drew out a sort-of math equation to further explain his thought process: If the Redskins trade back and miss a chance to take “Player A” and get “Player D,” then”Player D” has to create the same type of impact as “Player A.”
“If Player A is going to play for you for 10 years and Player D may not, then did you really get value or did you just get a whole bunch of picks?” Rivera said.
The Redskins might have a hard time finding a player as talented as Young, if they trade back.
CBS Sports reported last month that Washington was “super-high” on versatile Clemson linebacker Isaiah Simmons, but there is no guarantee he’d be available by the time Washington makes its second pick. In some mock drafts, Simmons, who ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at the combine, has been projected to go as high as fourth to the New York Giants.
As of now, the Redskins have a preliminary draft board set, Rivera said. Over the next five days, the team’s brass will host meetings with position coaches to evaluate players. Later on, they’ll do the same with their scouts, Rivera said.
Washington, like most teams, has been forced to prepare for the draft differently this year due to the coronavirus pandemic. The NFL informed all of its 32 clubs Monday that it will hold the draft remotely, with all employees forced to work from home. Teams, too, have had to host prospect interviews virtually — and there are no Pro Days to attend.
With the changes, Rivera said relying on scouts is key.
“You’ve got to be really smart and diligent about that,” Rivera said. “We feel good about that. …. It’s a little bit of a going back to the way it used to be done. So, we’re challenged with that — but I’m excited.”
• Matthew Paras can be reached at mparas@washingtontimes.com.
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