Doug Williams is open to the possibility of the Washington Redskins picking a quarterback in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.
Williams said Washington can still draft a quarterback despite already having traded for Case Keenum, per ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter.
Washington’s Senior Vice President of Player Personnel Doug Williams: “We were able to trade for Case but that does not put us out of the realm of picking a quarterback if there is one there that we like at 15 (overall draft pick).”
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 22, 2019
Williams is the Redskins' senior vice president of player personnel. He told reporters during Washington's pre-draft conference on April 22 that the Redskins, who own the rights to the 15th pick, have a higher chance of trading down than trading up.
The chance of trading up is a lot slimmer than trading back. If we get a chance to trade back, it all depends on who's there…and whether or not you really like that guy and you want him on your football team, and you put yourself in a position to get a couple more draft picks or some players that are out there.
I'm going to go on the record and say that's a possibility that we won't trade up, but there's a great possibility we'll trade back if the opportunity came.
If the Redskins don't trade up, their chances of getting Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Kyler Murray will decrease. Many draft experts predict Murray will go No. 1 to the Arizona Cardinals. However, it's likely that other signal-callers such as Dwayne Haskins or Drew Lock will be on the board when the Redskins announce their pick.
Doug Williams: Redskins trading down from 15 is a 'great possibility' for NFL Draft👀 https://t.co/W0f9z6Cza3 pic.twitter.com/fvtlShYKAn
— NBC Sports Commanders (@NBCSCommanders) April 22, 2019
Washington has a precarious quarterback situation. The Redskins lost starter Alex Smith to a season-ending broken leg injury in December of 2018. Smith most likely will sit out the entire 2019 NFL season.
This prompted the Redskins to trade for Keenum, a seven-year NFL veteran. Colt McCoy should compete with Keenum for the starting position. If Williams and Co. draft another signal-caller, it should make things interesting.
Expect Smith to take the field again in 2020. However, he will be 36 years old by then. Plus, one should expect him to lose a step or two as a result of the broken leg. For all we know, the Redskins could cut him or relegate him to backup duties.
Drafting Robert Griffin III in 2012 didn't turn out great for the Redskins. If they draft a signal-caller in the mold of Dwayne Haskins, that move would be made for the long-term future of the franchise. That's exciting, to say the least.
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