Washington Redskins: Grading every 2019 NFL Draft pick
By Hunter Noll
Round 6, Pick 206: Kelvin Harmon, WR, NC State
Back to the incredible impressive picks with this one. Kelvin Harmon is a wide receiver that could make an immediate impact on the Washington Redskins — and they got him in the sixth round. Harmon is 6-2, 221 pounds and ran a 4.6-second 40-yard dash. No, that’s not blazing speed, but that’s also not his game. The North Carolina State product brings a lot of power to the position and has great hands.
He’ll bully defenders and runs solid routes to get open. If he can’t get open, trust him to find a way to make the catch anyways. Honestly, this is a guy that it wouldn’t have surprised me if he was drafted in the third or fourth round. Instead, Washington got him in the sixth.
As mentioned before, the Redskins receivers aren’t exactly instilling fear in many. However, McLaurin adds a new dimension to the team and now Harmon is poised to play a role immediately as well. Talk about upgrading quick and with a tremendous value pick.
Final Grade: A-
Round 7, Pick 227: Jimmy Moreland, CB, James Madison
Once again — I swear, I can’t help myself at this point — this draft was superb and this was an extremely savvy late-round pick. Jimmy Moreland was the only defensive back the Redskins took in this draft and they waited until the seventh round to do so. However, he’s a sleeper who could turn into a great defensive back and an absolute ballhawk.
By now you’ve heard the stats about the James Madison product. Moreland racked up 18 career intercepts, taking six back for touchdowns. He’s an athlete who’s incredibly talented in coverage. If the Redskins give him time to develop, this could be a superb pick. Moreland’s already ridiculously fast and knows how to tackle. Just let him adjust and don’t rush him, please.
Final Grade: B+
Round 7, Pick 253: Jordan Brailford, EDGE, Oklahoma State
This is a very solid value pick. Jordan Brailford has all the physical tools to be a problem in the NFL. The Oklahoma State product also has the numbers to back it up, racking up 10 sacks and 17 tackles for loss last season.
That being said, another pass rusher wasn’t the biggest need for the Redskins. They already added Sweat and have Ryan Anderson, Andrew Ankrah and Marquis Flowers as well. At some point, you have to wonder how much depth is too much depth.
With that said, Brailford has some solid potential and could be a massive steal. It was also a seventh-round selection. At that point, you probably go for BPA and not just by position of need. Besides, outside of safety, the Redskins already kind of addressed all their other needs. There are two sides to this coin. One where Brailford shows out and finds his way onto the field, and one where the depth is too much and he becomes a distant memory in two years.
Due to that, it’s hard to give this a great grade, although he has the potential to prove it wrong. That’s why these initial grades are tough; the players can prove so much. It seems unfair to grade them before camps even start.
Final Grade: C+