On Friday night, the Redskins chose to address two needs with their top picks. One was a pressing need. The other, not so much.
Washington needs bodies in the secondary and they addressed that spot with the selection of North Carolina State cornerback David Amerson. For the second time on the night, the Redskins decided to pass on the most pressing need, safety. Instead, Washington’s brass went by who they felt was the best player available in Florida tight end Jordan Reed, an athletic and elusive receiver who was a highly touted quarterback coming out of high school.
The Redskins hold five picks on Saturday and have a chance to build on their depth throughout their roster.
Round 4, Pick 22 (119)
Round 5, Pick 21 (154)
Round 5, Pick 29 (162) (From Patriots)
Round 6, Pick 23 (191)
Round 7, Pick 22 (228)
4th Round – No. 119 Overall – Phillip Thomas – S – Fresno State
The Redskins were able to get some value with their 4th round pick with Phillip Thomas falling in their lap at 119 overall. Safety was the biggest need coming into the draft and they were able to address it.
Thomas, an admitted lifelong Redskins fan, led the nation with eight interceptions in 2012 after missing the 2011 season with a broken left leg and dislocated left ankle.
Thomas is a playmaking safety with good anticipation skills but could work on developing more of a killer instinct.
5th Round – No. 154 Overall – Chris Thompson – RB – Florida State
The Redskins decided to take a change-of-pace running back with this selection. In what is a rite of passage for Mike Shanahan’s drafts, a runner was taken in the mid rounds by Washington.
Thompson is 5’7, 192 pounds and ran for 687 yards and six touchdowns in eight games in 2012 before tearing his ACL and missing the final six games of the season.
In 2011, Thompson appeared in only five games before breaking his back against Wake Forest. He appeared in 38 games as a Seminole and ran for 1,735 yards, 14 touchdowns and averaged 6.3 yards per carry.
5th Round – No. 162 Overall – Brandon Jenkins – LB – Florida State
A defensive end in college, Jenkins missed 13 games with a lisfranc injury in 2012. Has 22.5 sacks in his Florida State career. He had 13.5 sacks and 21.5 tackles for loss with two forced fumbles and two passes defended in 2010. He had 8 sacks in 2011.
6th Round – No. 191 Overall – Bacarri Rambo – S – Georgia
Yet again, Washington found value at the safety position when Georgia’s Bacarri Rambo fell to them in the sixth round after being projected as a third-to-fourth round pick.
Rambo failed his second drug test after eating pot brownies and was suspended the first four games of the 2012 season for it. Like Thomas, Rambo is a ballhawk, logging 16 career interceptions as a Bulldog. He finished his senior season with 67 tackles and three interceptions.
In his college career, Rambo started 36 games and played in 47. He logged 235 tackles, 16 interceptions and six forced fumbles.
7th Round – No. 228 Overall – Jawan Jamison – RB – Rutgers
Jamison ran in the zone-blocking scheme at Rutgers. He ran for 1,075 yards and four touchdowns and caught 28 passes for 323 yards and two touchdowns in last season. In 2011, he ran for 897 yards and nine touchdowns. An ankle injury played a factor in production in 2012.
He told local reporters on a conference call that he entered the draft with two years of eligibility remaining because his mother is battling breast cancer and wanted to help her out the best he can.