The Redskins acquired quarterback Donovan McNabb on April 4, and all over the World Wide Web, NFL Draft experts--and wannabe experts--started scrambling.
Time to redo the ol' mock draft!
The NFL Draft is one week away, and once again mock drafts are proliferating on the Internet.
Mock drafts are usually a less-than-reliable predictor of what teams are thinking on draft day. Last year, only Rick Gosselin of the Dallas Morning News predicted that Brian Orakpo would fall to the Redskins at No. 13.
With the Redskins selecting at No. 4 overall in 2010, and with McNabb suddenly in the fold, and with Chris Samuels now retired, the Redskins' direction in this year's draft appears clear.
Left tackle.
Russell Okung.
Right?
For the sixth year in a row, Redskins.com does the work for you. Here's a sampling of some popular picks for the Redskins at No. 4, as of Thursday, April 15.
-- Mel Kiper, ESPN.com
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: Kiper is usually right when it comes to predicting the Redskins' pick. He calls Okung the "most complete left tackle in the draft" and a safe pick at No. 4. Okung, 6-8 and 300 pounds, has been compared to Ryan Clady, the Pro Bowl left tackle who was drafted by Mike Shanahan in Denver.
-- Todd McShay, ESPN.com
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: McShay jumps on board the Okung bandwagon and predicts that Okung will be the Redskins' starter at left tackle in 2010.
-- Pat Kirwan, NFL.com
Pick 4: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Redskins.com comment: Kirwan's fifth mock draft has Okung going to the Detroit Lions at No. 2. In that scenario, the Redskins would go with Williams. He has good mobility for a 6-5, 306-pounder and could be a good fit for Mike Shanahan's zone blocking scheme.
-- Charles Davis, NFL.com
Pick 4: Ndamukong Suh, DT, Nebraska
Redskins.com comment: Davis also has Okung going to the Lions. He predicts new defensive coordinator Jim Haslett will make an impassioned plea for Suh, a dominant defensive tackle who could excel in either a 4-3 or a 3-4.
-- Mike Lombardi, NFL Network
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: Okung addresses an obvious need at left tackle -- the Redskins lost six-time Pro Bowler Chris Samuels to retirement this offseason. Lombardi says Okung will be a Pro Bowl player himself. "I don't see how the Redskins can avoid picking him," Lombardi said.
-- Don Banks, Sports Illustrated
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: Banks thinks the Redskins could put this pick up for sale in a trade. If they stay at No. 4, Okung makes the most sense, but he suggests that Trent Williams "is making a late charge up the board."
-- Wes Bunting, National Football Post
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: Last time the Redskins drafted an offensive tackle in the first round of the draft? Yep, Chris Samuels. He was No. 3 overall in 2000.
-- The Sporting News
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: Okung again. But The Sporting News goes six steps further and does a full seven-round mock draft! Redskins' fourth-round pick: running back LeGarrette Blount. Fifth-round pick: quarterback Dan LeFevour. Seventh-round pick: wide receiver Marcus Easley.
-- Jarrett Bell, USA TODAY
Pick 4: Trent Williams, OT, Oklahoma
Redskins.com comment: The Redskins won't have to go far for a scouting report on Williams. He was a high school teammate of Malcolm Kelly and Robert Henson in Longview, Tex., and a college teammate of Kelly. "He's like my little brother," Kelly says of Williams.
-- Evan Silva, Pro Football Talk / NBC Sports
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: Okung is needed to make the Donovan McNabb trade worth it, Silva writes.
-- Clark Judge, CBS Sports
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: If he comes to Washington, Okung will go from being a [Oklahoma State] Cowboy to a Redskin.
-- Rick Gosselin, Dallas Morning News
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: Gosselin's mock drafts are often regarded as the most accurate--and kudos to him for predicting Orakpo to the Redskins last year. This year, like almost everyone else, he predicts Okung at No. 4.
-- Scott Wright, NFL Draft Countdown
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: One of the best independent NFL Draft sites on the web, Wright goes with the flow and predicts Okung. He calls Okung a "sure thing." But Wright suggests a trade might be in the offing if Okung is selected prior to No. 4. A trade would help replenish the Redskins' bare cupboard of draft picks. (The team's next pick is in the fourth round.)
-- Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: In his mock draft, Farmer asked NFL beat writers from each NFL city to contribute their team's pick. He calls *The Washington Post's *Rick Maese, who picks Okung.
-- KFFL.com
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: Broken record.
-- NFL Draft Bible
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: I've been hearing a lot about this web site lately. They have draft boards projected through the 2013 season. For this year, eight of their experts did separate mock drafts. And they all pick Okung going to the Redskins.
-- DraftDaddy.com
Pick 4: Russell Okung, OT, Oklahoma State
Redskins.com comment: Yawn...
-- NFLDraftDog.com
Pick 4: Sam Bradford, QB, Oklahoma
Redskins.com comment: Yawn...Oh wait, they think Bradford ends up in Washington even with Donovan McNabb in town. They think Okung goes to Tampa Bay at No. 3 and Bradford drops. "McNabb isn't the long-term answer," NFLDraftDog.com writes. "Bradford will now have the luxury of being developed slowly." Wow.
