Despite trading for Case Keenum, the Washington Redskins are open in the quarterback market heading into this month’s NFL Draft. According to Tom Pelissero of the NFL Network, Missouri quarterback Drew Lock will visit the Redskins as well as the NFC East rivals the New York Giants this week.
The Redskins hold the No. 15 pick overall while the Giants are picking sixth. Both teams are presumably in the market for quarterbacks.
For the Redskins, they’re entering the off-season with Keenum and Colt McCoy as last year’s starter Alex Smith is expected to miss the entire 2019 season as he continues his long road to recovery from his broken fibula and tibia he suffered last November.
Last week, Redskins head coach Jay Gruden praised Lock saying he could compete right away as a rookie for starting quarterback.
Lock improved his accuracy each season from freshman to senior, capped by 62.9 percent in 2018 with 28 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He threw for 44 touchdowns in 2017 as a junior.
Lock is rated third among quarterbacks for the draft behind Ohio State’s Dwayne Haskins and Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray by CBS Sports. Mock drafts vary where Lock will be land, however, it’s clear he will be a first-round pick and one of as many as five quarterbacks that potentially can be selected the first day of the draft.
The Redskins will be seeking a long-term option at quarterback with the age and severity of Smith’s injury. Also, McCoy is recovering from a fractured fibula, which required an additional surgery in March. Keenum and McCoy are currently expected to compete for the starting position this off-season.
Regardless of who wins and how the team performs, the Redskins will have to address a more permanent option whether that’s through this year or next year’s draft. Will Grier of West Virginia and Duke’s Daniel Jones are also prime candidates for the Redskins at No. 15 in addition to Lock.
