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What the Washington Redskins should’ve done in the 2012 NFL draft

By Rishi Pochiraju

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As most people who watch football know, the Washington Redskins mortgaged the farm to trade up four spots and select Robert Griffin III with the second overall pick in 2012. Washington fans, like myself, were all ecstatic about the selection.

Griffin had an excellent 2012 season, which prompted DeAngelo Hall to say that he would give up three more first rounders to keep him. It also encouraged me to write about how well the trio of Mike Shanahan, Bruce Allen, and Griffin was working, and how several successful organizations with young quarterbacks have a strong HC-GM-QB trio.

Now, it’s a totally different story. A majority of Washington fans are probably wishing that Jim Irsay and Ryan Grigson of the Colts had selected Griffin with the first pick in 2012, allowing Andrew Luck to fall to second. As of now, Luck (and several other quarterbacks in the same draft class) have fared better in three years than Griffin has.

All of that prompts these questions: in hindsight, what should the Washington Redskins have done in the 2012 draft, particularly when it comes to the first round, and what would have been practical at that time?

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Almost no draft expert would have expected Russell Wilson to have a better career than Robert Griffin III, and being a second round pick in 2012, much less a first rounder, is impractical. For that reason, I’ll leave Wilson out of this hypothetical scenario, as it was unrealistic for him to go that high in 2012. As much as I would like to hand Wilson on a platter to Washington, it wouldn’t have happened.

Before diving into possible first round scenarios for Washington in 2012, the rest of its draft class should be addressed. Mike Shanahan was able to find a gem in Alfred Morris in the 6th round of the draft. Keenan Robinson, taken in the fourth round, proved himself to be a solid starting middle linebacker after London Fletcher retired. Kirk Cousins is a valuable backup quarterback.

Overall, Washington’s 2012 draft class is above par (as of now), but the first round looks like a major blemish. Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson, Ryan Tannehill, and (some may argue) Nick Foles have been better overall quarterbacks than Griffin.

One logical and practical draft scenario would have been to stay at sixth overall and take a different quarterback. Had Washington not traded up to the second overall spot, a team like Cleveland most likely would have – Robert Griffin III would play there instead of in D.C. Drafting a position other than quarterback wouldn’t be ideal – Washington, other than Indianapolis, was the most QB-needy team in the league after 2011, in which it suffered the beyond-lackluster play of Rex Grossman and John Beck.

If Washington stayed at sixth, Ryan Tannehill would’ve been an excellent option. Tannehill has quietly posted excellent numbers in Miami and has shown flashes of greatness. If Mike Wallace could catch the ball more consistently down the field, Tannehill’s numbers would be augmented further. Tannehill is already among the top half in terms of performance level out of 32 starting quarterbacks, and Washington has better personnel right now offensively than does Miami.

Tannehill would have a better opportunity to flourish in D.C. He runs more of a pro-style offense than Griffin does, and would be complemented in Washington with the likes of DeSean Jackson and Alfred Morris.

People often cite Washington’s offensive line as the reason for Griffin’s struggles, but it can be argued that Tannehill’s line in Miami is no better. Despite having arguably a worse offensive line and a lack of personnel around him in Miami, Tannehill was able to post a 92.8 passer rating in 2014 while throwing for over 4,000 yards. He’s also started 48 out of 48 games with the Dolphins; Robert Griffin has missed significant time (and it’s well-documented, of course).

Tannehill has fared better than Griffin in a worse situation. Had Washington stayed at 6th in 2012, it would have been able to draft a better quarterback and retain its 2012 second round pick in addition to its 2013 and 2014 first round picks. Of course, hindsight is 20/20, but that’s the purpose of this article. In this hypothetical scenario, Washington would’ve saved its picks and would’ve prevented some first-class trolling on behalf of Jeff Fisher.

Because I was able to save Washington’s picks, I’ll now select players who were taken after St. Louis’s original selection via Washington in the last three year’s drafts.

In 2012, Washington will select cornerback Janoris Jenkins with the 39th overall pick (originally Washington’s selection before they traded it to St. Louis). Washington needed, and still needs, significant help in the secondary. Although Jenkins was a huge risk initially because of off-field issues, he seems to have panned out for St. Louis. I like the idea of Jenkins and Bashaud Breeland lined up on opposite sides of the field in Washington.

In 2013, Washington originally had the 22nd overall pick. Here Washington will select center Travis Frederick. That’s not a pick that stands out much, but he’s a top-tier center in the NFL. He was a huge part of Dallas’s success in the running game in 2014. Washington’s offensive line needs upgrades, and Frederick fits the bill.

Finally, in 2014, Washington would’ve had the second overall pick after an abysmal 2013 season. St. Louis took offensive tackle Greg Robinson here, but if Washington owned this pick, it could go with Robinson or any other top-tier player. Because Washington needs upgrades all along the offensive line other than left tackle, I’ll stick with Robinson.

If the Washington Redskins stayed at 6th in 2012, that’s the scenario that could’ve played out. The team would have Ryan Tannehill starting at quarterback – currently better than Robert Griffin III. Washington could’ve picked up three or more players from 2012 to 2014 – in this scenario, I hypothetically chose Janoris Jenkins, Travis Frederick, and Greg Robinson.

Tannehill, Jenkins, Frederick, and Robinson far outweigh Robert Griffin III. A practical and realistic scenario for Washington in 2012 was to stay at 6th and take Tannehill (and not give up any future picks in the process) – in hindsight, it is clear that this is what the team should have done.

Next: Washington Redskins: 5 questions worth asking

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