LOUDOUN COUNTY, VA – The Washington Redskins selected offensive lineman Brandon Scherff in the first round (No. 5 overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Scherff (6-5, 319) played four seasons at Iowa, where he appeared in 43 games with 36 starts. Last season, Scherff started all 13 games in which he appeared, earning unanimous consensus All-American honors and being named first-team All-Big Ten for the second consecutive season. He received the Outland Trophy, awarded annually to the best interior lineman by the Football Writers Association of America, and was named the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year in the Big Ten conference.
During his junior season in 2013, Scherff started in all 13 games in which he appeared and earned second-team All-American honors from the Football Writers Association of America. He also earned first-team All-Big Ten honors from league coaches, Sporting News, Phil Steele and others, in addition to being named a second-team All-Big Ten selection by league media and Athlon Sports.
As a sophomore in 2012, Scherff started in all seven games in which he appeared and played every offensive snap in six games. During his freshman year in 2011, he started in three of the 10 games in which he appeared, earning Big Ten Conference All-Freshman honors from BTN.com.
Scherff, 23, attended Denison (Iowa) H.S., where he played offensive and defensive lineman in his final two seasons after playing quarterback as a sophomore. A multi-sport athlete, he also participated in baseball, basketball, tennis and track and field. He was born on Dec. 26, 1991.
NOTES ON THE SELECTION OF BRANDON SCHERFF
- Scherff is the first selection in the tenure of General Manager Scot McCloughan and the ninth selection of the Jay Gruden era.
- Scherff is the 440th selection made by the Redskins in the Common Draft era (since 1967) and the 26th first-round selection in that time frame. He is the 57th first-round selection by the Redskins all-time since the institution of the draft in 1936.
- Scherff is the third offensive lineman selected by the Redskins in the first round since 2000. The Redskins' last two first-round offensive linemen – Chris Samuels (No. 3 in 2000) and Trent Williams (No. 4 in 2010) – have combined for nine Pro Bowl selections.
- Scherff's selection at No. 5 represents the highest the Redskins have selected an offensive lineman since drafting Williams with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
- Scherff is the fourth offensive lineman drafted by the Redskins in the first round in the Common Draft era, joining Williams, Samuels, Andre Johnson (1996) and Mark May (1981).
- Scherff is the 15th University of Iowa product selected by the Redskins all-time, joining B Al Couppee (1942), B Jim Smith (1947), E Herb Shoener (1947), T Don Winslow (1950), T Hubert Johnston (1952), B Don Dobrino (1957), G Frank Bloomquist (1958), QB Mitch Ogiego (1959), E Bill Whisler (1962), B Paul Krause (1964), T Paul Laaveg (1970), RB Ladell Betts (2002), G Adam Gettis (2012) and CB Jordan Bernstine (2012).
- The Redskins' 15 all-time selections from Iowa are tied for 14th-most from any school in team history. Scherff is the fifth Iowa Hawkeye selected by the Redskins in the Common Draft era (since 1967).
- Scherff's selection at No. 5 marks the highest the Redskins have taken an Iowa Hawkeye, surpassing Pro Football Hall of Famer Paul Krause's selection at No. 18 in the 1964 NFL Draft.
- Scherff is the second player selected by the Redskins at No. 5 all-time, joining Redskins Ring of Fame S Sean Taylor (2004).
- Scherff is the first Big Ten Conference product selected by the Redskins in the first round since LB Ryan Kerrigan in 2011. He is the sixth Big Ten product selected by the Redskins in the first round in the Common Draft era, joining DT Bobby Wilson (1991), WR Desmond Howard (1992), T Andre Johnson (1996), LB LaVar Arrington (2000) and LB Ryan Kerrigan (2011).
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