As the Washington Redskins prepare for their No. 6 selection in the 2012 NFL Draft, many mocks expect head coach Mike Shanahan and Co. to target a quarterback. Not surprisingly, big names like Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Heisman Trophy-winning passer Robert Griffin III to get hard looks. As CBS Sports Dane Brugler writes, however, a small school darkhourse playing at the 2012 East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg on Saturday could emerge as a player with a strong week of practice.
There are a combined 20 small-school players participating in the East-West Shrine Game and the player I am most anxious to watch is QB BJ Coleman from Tennessee Chattanooga. The former Tennessee transfer has a lot of tools that pro teams look for at the quarterback position, including size, arm strength and determination. Coleman had better production last season than he did as a senior, but much of that is attributed to a shoulder injury that is near 100 percent healed. Every draft class seems to have a non-FBS quarterback who emerges as a mid-round pick, and Coleman is the frontrunner to be that prospect in the 2012 draft class. Scouts will be anxious to see how quick he can digest and decipher information, which will go a long way to determining if he belongs with the big boys.
It's unlikely the Redskins would select Coleman in the first round, especially if talents like Griffin and Luck remain on the board. If Washington doesn't like what it sees at No. 6, however, Coleman could be a target in a later round if the Redskins stock up at another position in the first.
For more on the 2012 NFL Draft, visit Mocking the Draft and SB Nation's NFL page. For more on the Redskins, visit Hogs Haven.