NFL DRAFT: Redskins Find Their Future Right In Their Own Backyard

John Matthews
WMAL.com

PHILADELPHIA — (WMAL) After a tumultous start to the off-season, the Redskins by all accounts must feel at least some sense of relief with the selection of their first round pick in the NFL draft.

The team selected Alabama Defensive Lineman Jonathan Allen – a top-5 prospect on virtually all pre-draft boards – with the number 17 pick, a gift brought on by an unexpected early-draft rush for offensive players, and an apparent fear among some teams that Allen could have injury issues following a pair of surgeries to repair shoulder injuries while in college.

“There wasn’t anything not to like,” Redskins Coach Jay Gruden told the Washington Post. “We like his size, like his strength, like his ability to rush the passer, play the run. He’s a very versatile guy. He can play all over. Really, never in a million years did we think he’d be there at 17, but we’re happy as heck that he was.”

Allen, who won the Chuck Bednarik and Bronco Nagurski awards as the nation’s top defender in college football last year, was a first-team All-SEC selection, and finished second in the football-crazy conference in sacks with 12.

He grew up in Leesburg, and attended Stone Bridge High School, just down the road from Redskins Park in Ashburn.

Allen will be brought in to stuff the run on a team which has had the worst rushing defense in the NFL over the past two seasons. He’ll also likely line up alongside Ryan Kerrigan to rush the quarterback and create mayhem – something most evaluators say he should be able to do.

Reaction from evaluators across the NFL has been pretty much universal – They like the pick:

Biggest steal of #NFLDraft Jonathan Allen #Redskins Better coming out of college than Ndamukong Suh & I like him better than Solomon Thomas

— Charley Casserly (@CharleyCasserly) April 28, 2017

Jonathan Allen told me his shoulders feel great. Haven’t bothered him all offseason. @Redskins got the best player in this draft

— Jay Feely (@jayfeely) April 28, 2017

Best player on the board and a kid who grew up just a few miles from Redskins Park. Jonathan Allen is going home.

— Dan Hellie (@DanHellie) April 28, 2017