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The 2020 NFL Draft is nearly here. With it comes a lot of talk about the Washington Redskins and all other teams.
Draft speculation is also at an all-time high. There will be draft trades, as well as teams reaching for a player. Meanwhile, other prospects will see their names slide down the draft board.
Let's look at the biggest draft steals the Washington Redskins have ever had.
Honorable Mentions
Alfred Morris definitely deserves a spot. The sixth-round pick (173 overall) of the 2012 NFL Draft (the same year as Robert Griffin III and Kirk Cousins) ran for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns his rookie season. Then followed it up with 1,275 yards and seven touchdowns the next year. He had one more super productive season in 2014, racking up 1,074 yards and eight touchdowns.
Chris Cooley gets a spot too. He was a third-round pick (81st overall) back in 2004. Injuries got in the way and Cooley had to retire after 2012, at age 30. He still managed a fantastic 429 receptions for 4,711 yards and 33 touchdowns in his career.
Brian Mitchell may seem like a weird inclusion to some if they don't know much about him. A fifth-round pick (130th overall) in 1990, Mitchell never had more than 78 carries of 44 receptions in a single season.
However, he was a superstar returner. Mitchell racked up nine punt return touchdowns and four kick return touchdowns in his career.
5. Gary Clark
Clark was a second-round pick in the 1984 Supplemental Draft. The fact that he was a second-rounder and still cracks the top-5 should tell you just how good he was.
Clark played eight years for the Redskins. In that time, he racked up 549 receptions for 8,742 yards and and 58 touchdowns. He made four Pro Bowls and was even a First Team All-Pro in 1987.
Clark went on to play three more seasons after Washington. Two with the Phoenix/Arizona Cardinals and one with the Miami Dolphins. He added another 150 receptions for 2,114 yards and seven touchdowns to his resume.
One of the greatest receivers in Washington history.
4. Russ Grimm
Russ Grimm was selected 69th overall in the 1981 NFL Draft. He would go on to be arguably the best guard in the franchise's history.
Grimm spent his entire 11-year career with the Redskins. In that time, he made four Pro Bowls and three first-team All Pros. He was also on the team for all three of their Super Bowl runs.
Grimm was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010.
If a team can get an All-Pro and Hall of Fame talent that helps them win three Super Bowls with the first pick in the draft, they would cry tears of joy. The Redskins got that player in the third round (69th overall) with Grimm. That sounds like a steal to me.
3. Larry Brown
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Larry Brown was an eighth-round pick back in 1969. He ended up being one of the better running backs in the league for quite some time.
Brown played all eight of his seasons in the NFL with the Redskins. In that time, he racked up 5,875 yards on 1530 carries (3.8 yards per carry) and scoring 35 touchdowns. He also had 238 receptions for 2,485 yards and 20 more touchdowns in the air.
Brown was a Pro Bowler four times and made first-team All Pro twice. He was the NFL MVP in 1972.
Any time you can get an MVP in the eighth round, you have to consider that a steal.
2. Dexter Manley
I'm willing to guess Dexter Manley is the most obvious entry on this list. He's the player that even kids today will hear about with the Redskins.
Manley was selected in the fifth-round (119th overall) back in 1981. He went on to play nine years with the Redskins. Somehow, he only made one Pro Bowl and one first-team All Pro.
Dexter Manley helped Washington win multiple Super Bowls. He finished with 97.5 sacks in his career, 91 with the Redskins.
1. Chris Hanburger
Putting someone above Chris Hanburger would have felt weird. I mean, he was drafted in the in the 18th round (245th overall) in 1965. That's ridiculous.
Hanburger played all 14 years of his career with Washington. In that time, the linebacker made nine Pro Bowls and was a first-team All Pro four times.
Hanburger has 19 career interceptions and 17 career fumble recoveries. And that he took those in for five career touchdowns.
Hanburger was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2011. A worthy honor and a worthy pick for the top draft steal in Washington Redskins history.
