Class Of 2017 Looks Promising

Many Washington Redskins fans and critics figured the team would have a major drop-off in last April’s draft after firing general manager Scot McCloughan.

- Chris Russell

When Washington decided to move on from McCloughan, longtime director of college scouting and current senior personnel executive Scott Campbell helped run the show along with top scout (at the time) and now current director of college scouting, Kyle Smith, the rest of the scouting staff and the coaches.

Many, including McCloughan himself, said the Redskins largely used his draft board. However, it’s important to note McCloughan by himself did not set the board. It’s a lot of work done by others that feed the overall puzzle.

Regardless of who did it, the Redskins appear to have walked away with a few gems that are already contributing in their first year.

Jonathan Allen was selected No. 17 overall, but as everyone knows, slipped to the Redskins because of shoulder issues and possible arthritis down the line. Allen was expected to be a top-five pick and was widely considered by many to be the top defensive player in the draft.

Allen’s only real question was and is his health and his height. He’s only 6-feet-3 and when going against 6-5 or 6-6 tackles with longer arms, could get engulfed by a larger frame and arm length.

Could Allen get a bit stronger? Yes. Could he fine tune his technique? Of course. But Allen is a beast and it shows when you watch him.

Allen is at his best when he’s kicked a bit inside working closer to the center and usually attacking the outside shoulder of the guard, or what is commonly referred to as the three-technique position.

In the Redskins season opening loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Allen started in the base three-man down front along with Ziggy Hood and Stacy McGee. Allen was aligned on the right side and inside of the left tackle, to allow him to be more effective.