By Jason Reid and Jason La Canfora
After declining to pursue free agents to address most of their needs, the Redskins plan to use their first draft under coach Jim Zorn to fill holes.
Washington has nine picks (it doesn't have a fourth-round selection) in the April 26-27 draft, including three compensatory picks - an extra one in the third round and two additional seventh-round picks. The Redskins have needs along the offensive and defensive lines, at wide receiver, cornerback and safety. They also plan to select a quarterback to fill the No. 3 job behind starter Jason Campbell and backup Todd Collins.
"We're getting there," Zorn said of the team's draft planning.
Since early last week, Zorn and Vinny Cerrato, executive vice president of football operations, and their staffs have met for about 16 hours a day, reviewing videotapes of players and discussing options, Cerrato said. Washington, which has the 21st pick, also has scheduled visits this week with draft-eligible players. Former Oklahoma receiver Malcolm Kelly and former Tennessee linebacker Jerod Mayo are among the players the Redskins plan to host.
"It's still a work in progress, but we're making good progress," Cerrato said. "Everybody has been very forthright about the players. There's a good understanding in the room of what we need to do as an organization. "
Some mock drafts have the Redskins selecting Kelly with the 21st pick. At 6-foot-4 and 224 pounds, Kelly fits the size requirements of a big receiver; the Redskins hope to provide Campbell with bigger targets as they make the transition to Zorn's version of the West Coast offense.
Although he played only three seasons at Oklahoma, Kelly is second on the school's all-time list with 2,285 yards receiving and fifth with 144 receptions. With 21 touchdown receptions, Kelly is tied for seventh in Big 12 history. At a recent workout for NFL scouts at Oklahoma, Kelly had a disappointing performance in the 40-yard dash. And, after being clocked at 4.68 seconds, Kelly raised eyebrows in making critical comments about Oklahoma and how the workout was conducted.
Kelly said he had 40-yard dash times of 4.5 seconds and 4.47 seconds in another recent workout. To allay concerns about his speed, Kelly would be willing to run again for any team, his agent told reporters after the workout at Oklahoma.
With linebacker Rocky McIntosh recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, the Redskins are expected to draft an outside linebacker. The Redskins have expressed optimism about McIntosh being ready to start the 2008 season, but McIntosh also has a potentially degenerative condition in both knees.
Mayo, who also declared for the draft after his junior year, was an outside linebacker in his first two years at Tennessee and switched to middle linebacker before last season. Mayo (6-1, 242) led the Volunteers with 140 tackles last season.
The age and health of the offensive line are among the Redskins' top concerns. Washington wants to add a lineman who could challenge for time at guard immediately and could potentially start at tackle soon, said sources involved with Washington's draft process. Virginia guard/tackle Branden Albert (6-7, 315) is highly regarded by the Redskins.
Defensive coordinator Greg Blache has voiced his desire for the team to draft an interior lineman, preferably one with superior pass-rush skills, with its top pick, sources said. Cerrato, though, said no coaches have made specific position requests in the Redskins meetings.
"The comments coach Blache has made is that he wants the best player for the Redskins. That's it," Cerrato said. "When the pick is made, I think that's the one thing we have with our scouts, coaches and everybody in the organization... we all just want to do what's in the best interest of the Redskins.
"No one is in the meetings saying that they've got to have this position or that position. Everybody is on board with getting the best guy - and the right guy - for the Redskins. There's no coach in there saying, 'I've got to have him.' That's totally not happening.
"It's all about what's best for the team."