Now that Super Bowl XLV is over, it's time to turn our attention to the draft. The Redskins have the 10th pick, and according to the latest 2011 NFL Mock Draft over at SBNation.com, the team will use that pick on Alabama wide receiver Julio Jones.
There is an abundance of 3-4 talent available here that Washington may consider, but this is a deep year for defensive linemen. Jones is favored to Georgia's Green by some NFL scouts, and the Redskins need a lot of help at the receiver position.
Jones would certainly give the Redskins the kind of gamebreaking talent they may be losing if Santana Moss signs elsewhere, but given the struggles of the Redskins' defense last year, it probably makes little sense to pass on so many players who could conceivably fit in the 3-4 defense. Here is a list of defensive lineman and linebackers selected after Jones in this mock draft.
- Aldon Smith, DE, Missouri (11th)
- Cameron Jordan, DE, California (14th)
- Ryan Kerrigan, DE, Purdue (16th)
- J.J. Watt, DE, Wisconsin (18th)
- Adrian Clayborn, DE, Iowa (20th)
- Justin Houston, OLB, Georgia (21st)
- Stephen Paea, DT, Oregon (24th)
- Cameron Hayward, DE, Ohio State (28th)
- Akeem Ayers, OLB, UCLA (30th)