One of the strengths of the 2021 Washington Football Team was the offensive line. Despite a string of injuries and an outbreak of COVID-19, Washington’s offensive line was among the best in the league. Only left tackle Charles Leno started every game.
As for quarterback, Washington has a nice duo in Taylor Heinicke and Kyle Allen, but neither are starting NFL quarterbacks. Both would qualify as an above-average to good backup passer.
Washington will swing for the fences to land its quarterback of the present and future this offseason.
While Washington will look to land a veteran first, it will likely strike out on the best available options. That means the WFT will probably find their next quarterback early in the 2022 NFL draft.
Draft Wire recently conducted a three-round mock draft and, unsurprisingly, slotted a quarterback to Washington at No. 11 overall in the first round. That quarterback is Matt Corral of Ole Miss.
Taylor Heinicke had his moments, but Washington needs a better long-term solution at quarterback with more upside. Corral dealt with some injuries, so his durability could be a question for NFL teams, but he’s got a dynamic skill set, and was able to find success against top competition in the SEC.
In the second round of the mock draft, Washington lands Minnesota offensive tackle Daniel Faalele. Washington goes back to the trenches in round three, picking All-ACC center Alec Lindstrom of Boston College.
I can see this scenario playing out. At tackle, Washington re-signed Charles Leno for three more years. At right tackle, Washington has Sam Cosmi, who will be in his second season in 2022. Veteran swing tackle Cornelius Lucas is a free agent. Faalele could immediately become Washington’s swing tackle.
Washington has Chase Roullier at center. Roullier is one of the more underrated centers in the NFL. He missed the second half of 2021 with a broken leg. He signed a four-year extension last January. Lindstrom could immediately provide high-quality depth on the interior of Washington’s offensive line.
As we saw in 2021, Washington had tons of injuries on the offensive line, so adding talent in the offensive trenches is likely a priority this offseason, especially considering the team expects to lose All-Pro guard Brandon Scherff in free agency.