Washington Redskins: Safety Should Be Early Target In 2017 NFL Draft

The Washington Redskins have largely ignored the safety position and the hole remains, but should they make it a first-round priority in the 2017 NFL Draft?

Nov. 27, 2007 is arguably the worst day in the history of the Washington Redskins storied franchise. Sean Taylor, Washington’s uber-talented fourth-year safety, tragically passed away at the young age of 24 on that day.

Since that time, the Redskins have employed a who’s who of washed-up cornerbacks, past-their-prime players and mid-round picks at safety. O.J. Atogwe, Kareem Moore, Phillip Thomas or Baccari Rambo are just a few of the names Washington has used at the position over the last nine seasons. The team has failed to spend a high draft choice on a safety or throw big money at the position.

Washington’s preference is often to turn older cornerbacks—see DeAngelo Hall and Will Blackmon—into safeties and pray it works. While Hall has shown progress at the position, injuries have derailed his transition.

Last season, the team drafted Su’a Cravens, a hybrid linebacker/safety from USC in the second round only to use him as a linebacker in his rookie season. The team announced late in the season Cravens would be a full-time safety in 2017. That solves part of the problem—or does it?

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Cravens projects as a strong safety and the team still doesn’t know what it has in the second-year player. Offseason workouts and OTAs will be crucial for Cravens and the defensive coaching staff.

In free agency, Washington signed 25-year-old D.J Swearinger to a three-year deal in early March. After struggling to make his mark as a former second-round pick with Houston, Swearinger was cut twice before sticking with Arizona and becoming a good all-around safety in 2016.

But like Cravens, Swearinger appears to be a better fit at strong safety. However, Swearinger did show he could play the deep middle last season with the Cardinals, an important trait for a free safety. While this pair is young and under contract for the foreseeable future, should the Redskins be done at safety with a draft class that is deep at the safety position?

No, and there plenty of reasons why Washington should still be in the market for a safety in the 2017 NFL Draft.

This class is so deep with Malik Hooker and Jamal Adams both projected to be picked inside the top 10 (perhaps even the top five) that there are still other options for the Redskins at pick No. 17. When was the last time you could choose the third-best safety in the draft at 17? Probably never.

Safety is becoming one of the most important positions on defense in recent years. The league is filled with fast-paced offenses, meaning the need for good safety play is more important than ever. A competent free safety can limit what opposing teams can do downfield. Earl Thomas of Seattle is the perfect example of what teams desire in a free safety. Finding players like Thomas is the hard part.