Washington Redskins rebuild adds Chase Young in 7-round 2020 mock draft

Jordan Reed is gone and Vernon Davis decided to retire after the 2019 season, meaning Jeremy Sprinkle is the only tight end left on Washington’s roster. Thus, the Redskins need to find Dwayne Haskins a security blanket and Jared Pinkney can be that type of tight end. The Vanderbilt product is perhaps the best route-runner at the position in this draft class with the ability to sink his hips and sell like a wide receiver.

Pinkney is also a big boy with a monster frame, which makes him hard to bring down in the open field. He also has the frame to potentially be an asset as a blocker, though that part of his game is severely under-developed as of now. His receiving ability will make him a plus asset for a developing quarterback early on, however.

There is plenty of youth at wide receiver for Washington as the average age at the position is just 24.5 years old. But adding another young player to the mix in hopes of improving the group is of the franchise’s best interest, which is where John Hightower out of Boise State comes into play.

The former Bronco is a speed demon who consistently burned defenders down the field in college. However, he’s more than just wheels as Hightower showed his ability to vary his speeds and set himself up open in the deep parts of the secondary.

Hightower’s size is an issue as his thin frame can lead to him getting pushed around. Having said that, adding Hightower to the receiving corps gives them another deep threat to go with McLaurin. He won’t be an immediate success but has the potential to hit big as a seventh-round pick.

Though Jalen Elliott lined up at safety for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, he won’t be playing there in the NFL in all likelihood. He struggled as a tackler throughout his career and doesn’t have the powerful hit that could alleviate those woes moving forward. His lack of explosiveness is akin to that as well. However, he could move to cornerback as a situational player give some solid reps in coverage and with his ability to fight and win at the catch point.

Washington needs help at cornerback after cutting Norman this offseason — not that Norman was the player he once was in the nation’s capital. However, the 2020 draft class is top-heavy at the position, which hurts their chances of addressing the position in the mid rounds. However, Elliott could be sneaky value with a position change that could ultimately benefit the Redskins defense.