Washington Redskins: 5 First-Round Options To Watch At 2017 NFL Combine

1. Solomon Thomas, DE – Stanford

The Redskins need tons of help along the defensive line. With plenty of money to spend in free agency, Washington will look to address the defensive line with veterans entering their primes. However, the Redskins will likely select a defensive lineman or two in the draft in order to rebuild depth to a unit that’s been a weakness for years.

Perhaps the best defensive lineman in this draft—outside of Myles Garrett—is Solomon Thomas of Stanford. Yes, that means even better than Jonathan Allen. Now, Allen was certainly the better college player at Alabama, but did you see Thomas against North Carolina in the Sun Bowl?

Thomas essentially did that all game long. UNC had no answer for him. And it wasn’t just the Tar Heels Thomas terrorized. Thomas was a nightmare for opposing Pac-12 schools in 2016.

The great thing about Thomas is his versatility. You can line him up anywhere along the defensive line and he’ll make an impact. While he isn’t as big as some would like (6-3, 273 pounds), he’s exceptionally strong and moves like a player much smaller. You can expect Thomas to really open some eyes at the Combine.

The trouble with Thomas and the Redskins is that he may not even be available by the time Washington selects. His stock will rise because his film is good, he will have terrific workouts and he’ll blow executives away in the interview process.

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While people will call Garrett a transcendent talent—and he could be—it’s easy to forget about how special Thomas is. Could his size cause him to fall in the draft a little? Or could teams be concerned that he didn’t post ridiculous stat totals? They shouldn’t be. Thomas is an impact player and a future All-Pro. If he falls to No. 17, the Redskins should rush the card in immediately.