LOUDOUN COUNTY, Va. - The Washington Football Team owns the 19th overall selection in the first round of Thursday's NFL Draft.
And, as we sit two days out from the Draft, it appears the Burgundy and Gold will choose either an offensive lineman or a linebacker with their first selection. In fact, the four mock drafts currently posted at CBSSports.com all have the WFT choosing a linebacker or an offensive lineman.
Offensive lineman Christian Darrisaw, the former first-team All-ACC selection from Virginia Tech, will likely be scooped-up before Washington even has a chance to pick at 19. However, if Darrisaw is on the board when the WFT selects, there's a great chance the Upper Marlboro, Maryland native stays home to play for Washington.
If head coach Ron Rivera, a former linebacker himself, wants to choose a linebacker - a local product might be the pick.
Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, a former Bethel High School star from Hampton, is the reigning ACC Defensive Player of the Year and coming off a season in which he was voted a unanimous All-American.
CBS NFL Draft analyst Ryan Wilson, an alumnus of William & Mary, says Owusu-Koramoah makes plenty of sense to Washington with the 19th pick.
"The versatility is certainly there," Wilson noted. "The athleticism is certainly there. We saw glimpses of that at his pro day when he was muscled up, but also every week when he played. Absolutely, he's on the board at 19."
Last season, Washington's defense ranked fourth-best in the NFL and allowed the second-fewest yards of any team in the league.
"The great thing about that defense in Washington is you don't have to do it all," Wilson added. "You have so many superstars on that defense. You're not going to have to be the guy, as the rookie coming in at the 19th overall pick, if its Owusu-Koramoah, that has to be the difference maker."
