ASHBURN, Va.—The Washington Redskins went defensive in this year’s NFL draft, using their first four picks on a defensive lineman, a cornerback and a pair of linebackers.
A draft that began with thoughts of drafting quarterback Mark Sanchez instead focused on the other side of the ball. Even though the Redskins ranked fourth in the NFL in defense last year, there were plenty of holes to fill.
“Last year our first four picks were on the offensive side of the ball; this year our first four were on the defensive side,” coach Jim Zorn said Sunday. “We’ve had some real need and were actually trying to address those needs.”
After taking Texas defensive end Brian Orakpo with the No. 13 overall selection on Saturday, the Redskins on Sunday chose Maryland cornerback Kevin Barnes in the third round, Nebraska linebacker Cody Glenn in the fifth and TCU linebacker Robert Henson in the sixth.
Along the way, the Redskins picked up an extra seventh-round pick in a trade with the Minnesota Vikings. They used the selection to choose Idaho H-back Eddie Williams, then concluded their draft by picking Nevada receiver Marko Mitchell.
Beyond the theme of defense, all but the last of the Redskins’ draftees on Sunday had something else in common: They weren’t able to finish their college careers.
Barnes missed Maryland’s last six games with a broken shoulder blade. Glenn sat out Nebraska’s final four games after breaking a team rule. Henson was suspended from TCU’s Poinsettia Bowl game because of academics. Williams missed Idaho’s final game after tearing the ACL in his left knee.
Plus, there were connections to the Redskins’ dreaded NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys. Barnes spent part of his childhood in North Carolina—”The first team I liked was the Cowboys,” he said—and Glenn and Henson are both Texas natives.
“I talked to my parents, and we’re switching over,” Glenn said. “We’re Redskins fans now.”
Barnes is the most intriguing pick and will have the best chance to make a substantial contribution in his rookie season. He’s a cornerback who combines brains and brawn—verifiable through the wonders of the Wonderlic and YouTube.
Barnes posted the highest score (41) on the Wonderlic logic-thinking test given to prospects at this year’s NFL Combine.
“How do you get 41 on that?” Zorn said. “I think it’s unusual. If you score in the mid- to high-20s, you’ve got to know what you’re doing.”
Barnes showed his smarts during a conference call with reporters. He knew all about the team’s current group of cornerbacks, referencing DeAngelo Hall, Carlos Rogers and adding that Fred Smoot “is getting a little bit older.” Of course, it helps that he’s spent his university years at nearby College Park.
“I do my studying,” he said. “I do my research.”
Barnes is also well known for a big hit that became an Internet sensation. He leveled California’s Jahvid Best in a game early last season, leaving Best on the ground several minutes before the running back vomited. Barnes broke his shoulder blade making a hit later in the season in a game against Wake Forest.
At 6-foot, 187 pounds, Barnes looks like a make-good pick from last year, when the Redskins chose Arizona State cornerback Juston Tryon in the fourth round. Tryon was a disappointment as a rookie and could struggle to keep his spot on the roster this year.
Glenn, who adds needed depth to the linebacking corps, had an eventful four years of college. He nearly died as a freshman in a car accident in which he fell asleep at the wheel. Leg and foot injuries hampered his sophomore and junior years, then he was converted from running back before his senior year.
He was showing promise as an outside linebacker before getting suspended for the final four games.
“I caught up with selling some tickets I wasn’t supposed to,” he said. “I did it, and I got caught up in it. Coach (Bo) Pelini had to do what he had to do, but it wasn’t nothing really big, it was just something where they didn’t want to hurt the team.”
It was a mild surprise that the Redskins did not use a draft pick to add a prospect to their aging offensive line. Executive vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato, however, noted that on Friday the team signed 2002 first-round pick Mike Williams, who hasn’t played since 2005 and needs to lose at least 40 pounds from his 410-pound frame.
“When we signed Mike Williams, that kind of helped that,” Cerrato said.
