Today’s question comes from Dick and Kathy Ethier. Send your questions via e-mail to jlegwold@denverpost.com.
Q: Did Mike Shanahan and the Redskins pick before the Broncos and pass on Tim Tebow (in the 2010 draft)?
A: The Redskins did have an early pick in the first round in the April draft — No. 4 overall — but that was way too high of a selection to use on Tebow. Many teams had Tebow rated as a second-rounder, some had him in the third, and a smattering of scouts and personnel people believed he could be a fourth-round pick or later.
It’s not uncommon for the league’s personnel people to have such diverse opinions about a player, but it’s not often the player in question is as popular in the public eye or as accomplished in the college as Tebow.
For his part Shanahan worked out Tebow in March Gainesville, Fla., a private workout just for Redskins team officials. Washington officials put Tebow through a variety of drills, footwork and throwing, so they got a pretty long look to use as the basis for their evaluation.
But the Redskins would have had to make a deal to get into the draft where Tebow was to be taken. After their first-round pick they did not have another pick until the fourth round — 103rd overall.
The Redskins gave Tebow a long look because they needed a young, quarterback prospect, and likely wanted to see up close what his value would be. But, again, they would have had to work something out by either trading a player on their roster for a pick or putting together some kind of package with future picks in the 2011 draft to get back in the first, second or third rounds.
The Redskins, with their offensive line in disarray and having traded for veteran quarterback Donovan McNabb, were in a dire need of a left tackle. So that’s why they didn’t trade the No. 4 pick so they could take Trent Williams, a premium tackle prospect with a premium pick.
The Broncos ended up taking Tebow with the 25th overall pick. And in the days before the draft, the feeling among many in the league was the three most likely teams to select Tebow — perhaps even in the first round — were the Broncos, the Vikings and the Patriots.
The Patriots picked 27th, and there was a significant buzz on draft day among some general managers that New England was going to give Tebow a long look if he was still on the board.
The Vikings did not have a pick in the opening round but had the second pick of the second round — 34th overall. And while they have publicly denied they would have taken Tebow there as a slam dunk, it would have been intriguing to see it, especially given their quarterback situation down the road when Brett Favre retires without the threat of changing his mind.
Jeff Legwold: 303-954-2359 or jlegwold@denverpost.com
