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Washington Redskins: Final 7-Round 2018 mock draft

By Bryan Manning

SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 17: Defensive lineman Vita Vea #50 of the Washington Huskies defends against the Portland State Vikings on September 17, 2016 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)
SEATTLE, WA - SEPTEMBER 17: Defensive lineman Vita Vea #50 of the Washington Huskies defends against the Portland State Vikings on September 17, 2016 at Husky Stadium in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images) /
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GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 30: Defensive lineman Vita Vea #50 of the Washington Huskies reacts on the bench during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
GLENDALE, AZ – DECEMBER 30: Defensive lineman Vita Vea #50 of the Washington Huskies reacts on the bench during the second half of the Playstation Fiesta Bowl against the Penn State Nittany Lions at University of Phoenix Stadium on December 30, 2017 in Glendale, Arizona. The Nittany Lions defeated the Huskies 35-28. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) /

Round 1, Pick No. 13: Vita Vea, DT, Washington

The Redskins have long needed a big, physical presence in the middle of their defensive line. Enter Vita Vea. The hulking 6-4, 347-pound defensive tackle had an impressive —albeit brief— Combine after a strong college career. Vea wowed NFL teams with his 41 reps on the bench press and a 5.11-second 40-yard dash. That time is almost unheard of time for someone of Vea’s size.

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The biggest question for Washington is will Vea be on the board at No. 13?

There is certainly a lot of interest in Vea around the league. Some teams question if Vea is an actual three-down player. If teams view him more as a two-down player, then he will fall down the board. The Redskins need someone in the middle of their defense who is a prolific run-stopper. That’s Vea. However, Washington doesn’t want to spend a first-round pick on someone who is just a run-stopper.

That’s where defensive line coach Jim Tomsula factors in. Tomsula is one of the best defensive line coaches in the league and his evaluation of Vea will likely determine if the Redskins draft him or not.

Don’t believe the noise that Vea can’t collapse the pocket. He didn’t have big sack numbers in college, but most defensive tackles don’t. If Vea can push the pocket, opening up things for players like Allen, Ryan Kerrigan and Preston Smith, then he’ll be a worthy selection for the Redskins.

If he’s on the board at No. 13, he is Washington’s pick. Even draft analyst Tony Pauline believes so, too.

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