[brid autoplay=”true” video=”742881″ player=”23231″ title=”Washington%20Football%20Team%20signs%20WR%20Curtis%20Samuel%20to%20threeyear%20deal” duration=”41″ description=”Washington signed wide receiver Curtis Samuel to a three-year deal on Wednesday, reuniting the former Carolina Panthers’ weapon with head coach Ron Rivera and former Ohio State teammate Terry McLaurin.” uploaddate=”2021-03-18″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/thumb/742881_t_1616094146.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/sd/742881.mp4″]
Filling out a Washington Football Team mock draft last year was pretty easy, and because the franchise made the no-brainer selection of Chase Young at second overall, its defense proved strong enough to win the NFC East.
That playoff berth means Washington isn’t picking until 19th overall in the 2021 NFL Draft. However, the Football Team has some flexibility with an extra third-round selection, and a strong free agency period gave them legitimate studs in wide receiver Curtis Samuel and cornerback William Jackson III.
Using The Draft Network’s simulator, we’ll run through a seven-round mock for Washington and see how much this roster can improve in the first draft of the Martin Mayhew-Marty Hurney front office era.
Washington Football Team mock draft: Versatility galore among top picks
- First round, 19th pick: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame
- Second round, 51st pick: Jevon Holland, S, Oregon
- Third round, 74th pick: Tylan Wallace, WR, Oklahoma State
- Third round, 82nd pick: Tommy Tremble, TE, Notre Dame
It doesn’t get much more versatile than three of these selections for the Football Team. Notre Dame’s Tommy Tremble is a pass-catching weapon at tight end who’d be an excellent addition to the position group alongside Logan Thomas.
Tremble is an impressive run blocker who also has the hands to get it done as a receiving threat. Thomas is a more dynamic athlete who came to the NFL as a quarterback, and he’s still working on the finer points of playing the position. This would make a nice tight end duo of the future in the nation’s capital.
As for the other versatile pieces: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah would just make Washington’s tremendous defense all the more difficult to game plan for. He’s an undersized linebacker who can still bring the lumber versus the run, but has the coverage skills of a defensive back. Meanwhile, Jevon Holland can play either safety spot or slot cornerback and would be another huge asset against the pass.
As for Tylan Wallace, he may not be the most electrifying receiver, but in a deep class at the position, he’s great value in Round 3. Wallace produced 205 receptions for 3,434 yards and 26 touchdowns, and most of that came in his final three years at Oklahoma State — mind you, with a torn ACL suffered in 2019 that didn’t hinder him last season.
Football Team quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick would love to get a dependable possession wideout with some wiggle after the catch like Wallace, who should draw favorable matchups with Terry McLaurin attracting tons of attention and Curtis Samuel creating all kinds of problems for opposing secondaries from the slot.
Read More: 3 reasons why Curtis Samuel is the steal of free agency for the Washington Football Team
Washington Football Team mock draft: Compelling depth added on Day 3
- Fourth round, 124th pick: Trill Williams, CB, Syracuse
- Fifth round, 163rd pick: Anthony Schwartz, WR, Auburn
- Seventh round, 244th pick: Bryan Mills, CB, North Carolina Central
- Seventh round, 246th pick: Alaric Jackson, OT, Iowa
Give Fitzmagic the launch codes, D.C.
It’s no secret that the Football Team’s new field general is a gunslinger and isn’t afraid to take shots deep down the field. Auburn’s Anthony Schwartz is a legitimate sprinting track star who’s still working to realize how special he can be on the gridiron.
Schwartz wasn’t helped by lackluster quarterback play in college, which is why his 12.2 yards per catch on 117 receptions is lower than expected. However, with Fitzpatrick slinging the rock, Schwartz can absolutely blow the top off defenses in certain situations.
Washington would probably work on creative ways to get Schwartz the ball due to his world-class speed. He had 323 yards rushing on 43 carries at Auburn, so that’s another wrinkle offensive coordinator Scott Turner could add to the playbook if the Football Team manages to land Schwarz on Day 3.
As for the remainder of the selections, Trill Williams is a long cornerback who played a lot of slot at Syracuse but probably fits better outside. Either way, he’d be an asset on the back end.
Bryan Mills is among the better small school prospects on the board, and frankly it’d be surprising to see him still on the board in the seventh round. The same goes for Jackson, considering he started four years in a pro-style offense at Iowa. He’s a nice developmental left tackle the Football Team can work on as they figure out what to do at the position beyond 2021.