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The Washington were all over the place last season. They couldn’t find consistency at quarterback, couldn’t offensive lineman Trent Williams after he refused to play, and saw Derrius Guice suffer a season-ending injury for a second straight year.
Terry McLaurin was a bright spot in the receiving corps, but there are question marks at quarterback, running back, and on the offensive line. The team acquired Kyle Allen from the Carolina Panthers and traded away cornerback Quinton Dunbar, and will look to improve primarily through the draft.
2020 Draft Picks
Round 1, pick 2 (No. 2 overall): Chase Young, Edge, Ohio State
Round 3, pick 2 (No. 66): Antonio Gibson, WR, Memphis
Round 4, pick 2 (No. 108): Saadhiq Charles, OT, LSU
Round 4, pick 36 (No. 142): Antonio Gandy-Golden, WR, Liberty
Round 5, pick 10 (No. 156): Keith Ismael, C, San Diego State
Round 5, pick 17 (No. 162): Khaleke Hudson, OLB, Michigan
Round 7, pick 2 (No. 216): Kamren Curl, S, Arkansas
Round 7, pick 15 (No. 229): James Smith-Williams, DE, N.C. State
Team needs
Offense
Washington could be content with Dwayne Haskins being their Week 1 starter only having Allen with him in the quarterback room could be risky. Guice is injury prone, so leaning on 35-year-old Adrian Peterson as the feature back could be risky. The players behind him got limited touches last season and haven’t shown they can be used consistently.
The left tackle position will be important for a team that will likely start a young, right-handed quarterback, but it’s unlikely that Williams can be convinced to return to the team in the final year of his contract. Washington will need to explore alternative options.
Defense
Defensive ends only accounted for seven of Washington’s 46 sacks in 2019, and six of those came from Jonathan Allen, who ranked second on the team and is on an expiring contract. Washington invested in upgrades for defense last offseason and should continue to do so.
Dream first pick
Ohio State’s Chase Young is head and shoulders above any other pass rusher in the draft and has the kind of upside that could transform a defense. The second pick is too valuable to use on an offensive lineman, but Washington could be tempted to swing for the fences and draft a quarterback. The consensus right now is that Young will be the pick though.