The Redskins picked Ryan Kerrigan with the 16th overall pick of the first round of the 2011 NFL Draft on Thursday. Kerrigan led the Big 10 in sacks the last two years, and was a captain last year at Purdue. He will likely line up as an outside linebacker opposite Brian Orakpo, giving the Redskins two pieces to build around on the defensive side of the ball. Here is what our Redskins blog Hogs Haven had to say about Kerrigan when they previewed him earlier in the offseason.
Kerrigan is pretty solid across the board. He has a tremendous burst off the line and possesses a great deal of power given his size. At Purdue, Kerrigan tied the all-time FBS fumbles forced record with 14. Kerrigan is more athletic than Orakpo or any of our OLBs in terms of underneath coverage. Kerrigan is a phenomenal pass rusher and has active hands when QBs are looking to throw.
Our NFL Draft blog Mocking The Draft weighed in on the pick as soon as the Redskins made it.
Kerrigan will pair nicely with Orakpo and for a dangerous pass rush. The Redskins had other needs but Kerrigan helps improve their defense. Kerrigan is a hard worker that will do whatever is needed to get to the quarterback. I think the Skins could have went Cam Jordan but this is still a decent pick.
When the pick was made, our very own Daniel Shiferaw had a positive reaction, as he thinks the pick will be able to help free up Brian Orakpo on the other side of the line.
During the season, Orakpo was the only player capable of providing a solid pass rush. Now he will be paired with someone who can provide at the very least a competent pass rush that will make things tougher on opposing offenses.
For the first time in a while, the Redskins have a position that they don't have a need at. We can finally say (as long as Kerrigan pans out) that they are good at outside linebacker.