The 2011 NFL Draft is taking place on Thursday, April 28, and the Redskins will have the No. 10 pick in the first round. Many different players have been projected to be picked in that spot in various 2011 NFL mock drafts, and the Redskins certainly have a lot of needs. Which players will be good fits for the Redskins in that spot? We will provide scouting reports and let you know who we like in this StoryStream. Next up: Washington QB Jake Locker
NFL Comparison: Somewhere in between Vince Young and Ben Roethlisberger. He doesn't have quite the mobility of Young, but he can move around in the pocket even better than Roethlisberger. But he also has some of the same accuracy issues that have plagued Young so far in his career. Keep in mind that's just a style comparison, not necessarily in ability.
2010 Stats: 2,265 yds. 17 tds 9 ints 55.4 comp%.
Strengths: Locker is just an incredible athletic specimen. He can move around in the pocket, gain yards with his legs when his protection breaks down and has the arm strength to make every throw on the field. He also has very good height for a quarterback, which isn't generally the case with someone as athletic as he is. Not only can he run around and make plays, but he is built to take the punishment that is associated with that kind of football.
He is also a very hard worker and a good character kid, by all accounts. He is the kind of player that you wouldn't mind making the face of the franchise.
Weaknesses: During his senior year, Locker did not show that he had the kind of accuracy that could make him an elite starting quarterback in the NFL. If he is going to be successful, he needs to get better in that area. From everything we've seen from him during offseason workouts, Locker appears to have improved in that area. But this will be the part of his game that he needs to work hardest on if he wants to be a franchise quarterback.
Redskins Fit: I think that Locker would be a very good player for the Redskins if he is able to reach his potential. We know that Mike Shanahan likes his quarterbacks to have a little bit of mobility, and we know how interested they were in Locker before the Draft last year.
Having said that, Locker has to reach his potential for it to be a good fit. The Redskins can't afford to take a quarterback and spend a lot of time developing him, only for him to not pan out in the end. Locker on his best day is great for the Redskins. The question is, can he get there?
Where He Should Be picked: I think Locker will go somewhere in the mid-first to early second round range. I think it would be a little bit of a reach for the Redskins to take him at No. 10, but I wouldn't be surprised if he went two picks later to the Vikings. If the Redskins want to get Locker, and not have to sacrifice value to do so, they should trade back a few picks, possibly to the Rams at 14, and hope that he makes it past the Vikings.