The Washington Redskins could select a player in the 2020 NFL draft who might transform their defense, such as Chase Young. Or they could accumulate more picks, perhaps speeding up their rebuilding process. Those options make the most sense. But that leaves one more question: Would Washington really consider taking a quarterback?
All three options exist with the No. 2 overall pick, though at far different levels of likelihood -- from high to nearly none.
Here's a breakdown of the Redskins' options for the second selection on April 23:
Select Young
Likelihood: High
The Redskins have long liked Young, knowing what players of his caliber can do -- to an offense and for the rest of the defense. Between them, coach Ron Rivera and defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio have coached Julius Peppers, Von Miller and Khalil Mack -- three of the most disruptive pass-rushers of the past decade.
"Having a guy like Von Miller or a guy like Khalil Mack, who are premier pass-rushers, they put a lot of pressure on the offense and help the defense," Del Rio said in January. "It all starts for us with the penetrative, disruptive defensive linemen."
As one evaluator said, echoing many others: "A pass-rusher impacts all three levels of the ball."
ESPN draft analysts Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. both say Young is the best player in the draft.
"You can't pass up a generational talent that makes everyone else around that front better," said one NFL offensive assistant.
Young recorded 16.5 sacks and 21 tackles for a loss in 12 games for Ohio State last season. The Redskins are well aware of the impact his former Ohio State teammate Nick Bosa made last season in San Francisco. In one season, the 49ers' defense improved in two key areas: on third downs (from 21st to tied for second) and sacks per pass attempt (from 23rd to third). They rode their defense to the Super Bowl.
"It starts up front," ESPN NFL analyst John Fox, who drafted Miller in Denver, said in January. "The best pass defense in the world is a pass rush. ... Most teams that are good every year [on third down] have a good four-man rush. You can be a lot more intricate in the coverages you run. The minute you bring that five-man rush, you're limited to single-high coverages. That's what makes San Francisco so good is their four-man front is probably better than everyone else."
And that's what the Redskins want to build. They have a chance to field an excellent defense right now while adding offensive pieces over the next year or so.
"You've got to be able to sit there and say that the next guy that I'm going to take is going to be that high-impact guy," Rivera said. "And that's what I'm looking for, that's what I believe we need. We need a guy just to come in and really change our football team."
Trade down
Likelihood: Low-medium
Without a second-round pick, and with many holes to fill, the Redskins have always been open to a trade. But it will take a lot just to get them to consider one. As they have shown when talking to teams about trading left tackle Trent Williams, they're not likely to budge off a desired return.
Miami could tempt them, thanks to three picks in the first round (Nos. 5, 18 and 26). Jacksonville has two picks in the first round (Nos. 9 and 20). Would Washington really want to drop that far, possibly falling out of blue-chip talent range? The Redskins know that's what they would be surrendering -- potentially -- with Young.
"If you're going to make a trade and you're going to go back," Rivera said, "that guy that you're going to take at that spot has to make the kind of impact you need to validate missing an opportunity to take a player that's a high-impact guy."
The Redskins have had multiple problems as an organization that go beyond the roster, but finding elite players has also been an issue. Washington's last All-Pro player: punter Matt Turk in 1996.
The current roster is full of young, potential starters. Of their 73 players, 54 are 26 years old or younger and 14 or 15 could secure starting roles. What the Redskins need are impactful talents, not just more youth.
Another factor working against trading down is that Washington can add more picks if it trades Williams. The Redskins want second-round value, which could mean multiple third-rounders or perhaps a third- or fourth-rounder plus a future pick.
The final reason trading out of the No. 2 pick is low: Any team moving up to that pick would likely be doing so to select a quarterback -- very likely Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, who has a lengthy injury history.
With teams unable to examine Tagovailoa (fractured hip) medically, some in the league have wondered if teams will be as aggressive in trying to move up for him. If not, trading back might not provide the great haul needed to make it worthwhile. There's an assumption of what a trade down would look like, but the reality could be much different. There are also multiple prospects at quarterback, depending on how teams view Justin Herbert and Jordan Love.
Given the enormity of such a trade and the unprecedented draft setup, this deal must be made before the draft starts. So far, with questions about Tagovailoa, there hasn't been much buzz about teams wanting to give up what it would take to move up.
If something changes and a team offers a massive haul, the Redskins must think hard before accepting.
Select Tagovailoa
Likelihood: Slim-to-none
Rex Ryan explains why Chase Young is "a slam dunk" choice for the Redskins with the second overall pick and that trading down would be a mistake.
The Redskins have publicly stated they want to develop quarterback Dwayne Haskins, and it's the message others around the league have heard as well. The Redskins were excited by his finish -- a 73.0 combined total QBR in his final two starts -- and want to see how he progresses under a staff that isn't under pressure to win immediately and can focus harder on his development. The Redskins have heard good things so far about his offseason work.
If Haskins doesn't impress them and the season goes poorly, they might be in position to draft a Trevor Lawrence or Justin Fields next spring. The issue isn't Tagovailoa's talent; it's the durability. In addition to his hip, Tagovailoa injured both ankles, a wrist and a shoulder, and suffered a concussion.
As one NFL assistant coach said, "That's what people are concerned about. And that was playing at Alabama, where some weeks he wasn't getting touched."
At Alabama, Tagovailoa was sacked on 3.7% of his dropbacks the past two seasons combined; the NFL average last season was 6.4%. Alabama coach Nick Saban said Tagovailoa is a tough kid who needs to learn how to throw the ball away. There are usually hard lessons that force a young quarterback to do this; and that usually means a lot of extra hits.
It's hard to predict any player's longevity. But the combination of Tagovailoa's injury concerns, having a young quarterback already on the roster and the chance to grab arguably the top player in the draft will steer you in a different direction.
Rivera will be making his first pick as Washington's coach. It must be one that hits.
Lastly, it's been widely reported that Redskins owner Dan Snyder wanted Haskins last season. While Snyder isn't involved in draft meetings, this much makes sense: If you truly want to take a quarterback who would replace the guy the owner likes, he had better be a prospect without any questions about his health.
The Redskins have other options; they will go in one of those two directions.