The Washington Redskins had an interesting day on Friday at the 2011 NFL Draft. They began the day with two draft picks and ended up using two draft picks. In between, though, they accumulated tons of late picks, allowing them to have a whopping 10 picks on Day 3. For that, we believe their NFL Draft grade thus far should be high.
First, the trades. The Redskins moved down again and again from No. 49. First, they took the Colts' fifth-round pick in exchange for moving down four spots. Then, they took the Bears' fourth-round pick in exchange for moving down to No. 62. Finally, they took the Dolphins' fifth- and seventh-round pick to move down to No. 79. The end result is that the Redskins have a fourth-round pick, four fifth-round picks, a sixth-round pick and four seventh-round picks. That's huge for a team that has many holes. Anytime you can add more darts to throw, you get a better chance at a bullseye.
Now, the players. Jarvis Jenkins isn't a household name, and the Redskins may have reached a bit to take him at No. 41, but he's a perfect fit to be in the two-gap in the Redskins' defense. They can also move him around to defensive end, which gives Jim Haslett a lot of flexibility. But the real winner of the day was with the No. 79 pick, when the Redskins selected Leonard Hankerson of Miami. The wide receiver really should have been picked higher. As we noted, he may have had the single best season in Miami history for a wide receiver, and Miami has had a ton of great wide receivers. He's going to immediately get a chance to play, and he deserves it.
So, in the end, the Washington Redskins have earned an A thus far. Let's hope they make these picks count.