5 Year Draft Class Review: Has Washington Improved?

Successful teams can be built through the NFL Draft, but when things go wrong, it can set an organization back for years

After an NFC East crown in 2020, hopes were high for a deeper playoff run in 2021.

But when Ryan Fitzpatrick went down in the opener, thrusting Taylor Heinicke back into the starting role, the offense struggled mightily. Gone was the quarterback experience that the team needed and thought they had, and back was the unpredictable gunslinger style of Heinicke. Then, neither unit lived up to expectations as the defense also faltered due to injuries and a COVID outbreak to key players.

But not all has been bad. While WFT management has missed on many of its draft picks, there have been a few bright spots. Let's take a look at the past five draft classes for the Washington Football Team and see where things stand as we look back at 2021.

2021 DRAFT REVIEW

1st Round: Jamin Davis, LB, Kentucky – An underwhelming draft pick at the time, Davis has improved the middle of the defense. (Played in 17 games, started 8)

2nd Round: Samuel Cosmi, OL, Texas – His position flexibility still makes him valuable for Washington and his future is bright. (8/8)

3rd Round: Benjamin St-Juste, DB, Minnesota – A third-round pick should have an almost immediate impact on the field, but St-Juste has done little to impress. (9/3)

3rd Round: Dyami Brown, WR, North Carolina – His rookie season was hardly impressive, and he’ll need to do more in a room of talent if he wants to stay in Washington. (15/6)

4th Round: John Bates, TE, Boise State – His 2021 performance has solidified a spot on the roster. (17/8)

5th Round: Darrick Forrest, S, Cincinnati – Played well enough to secure a spot as a reserve in the second half of the season. (8/0)

6th Round: Camaron Cheeseman, LS, Michigan – Long snapper is always valuable and Cheeseman now has a lock there. (17/0)

7th Round: William Bradley-King, LB, Baylor – Was used in the last few games of the season as a COVID replacement and has yet to make an impact. (3/0)

7th Round: Shaka Toney, DE, Penn State – Added depth to the defensive line and recorded 1.5 sacks and eight tackles. (10/1)

7th Round: Dax Milne, WR, BYU – Gained the trust of the quarterback and coaching staff, should have a future in Washington. (13/1)

SUMMARY: With 10 picks Washington hoped to make a bigger splash, but no one player stood out among them.

	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
TOTAL PICKS	10	8	10	8	10
CURRENT STARTERS	1	1	2	2	3
CURRENT BACKUPS	1	2	1	5	7
ON OTHER TEAMS	3	2	5	0	0
PRACTICE SQUAD	0	0	1	1	0
OUT OF THE LEAGUE	5	3	1	0	0

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5-YEAR BREAKDOWN

Just eight out of 28 players that Washington drafted from 2017-2019 remain with the team, and that includes quarterback Dwayne Haskins chosen 15th overall in 2019. Washington has not done itself favors with some bad selections that have left the league, but 10 players from those same drafts have found success on other teams.

More recently, though, Washington has hit paydirt with picks in early rounds with Chase Young, Antonio Gibson, Jamin Davis, and John Bates.

Best Pick: DE Chase Young, R1, 2020 – Young was Defensive Rookie of the Year in 2020 as Washington hit at a position that’s hard to find for most clubs. A future star in the league.

Worst Pick: QB Dwayne Haskins, R1, 2019 – It didn’t take long to figure out this was a huge bust. A lack of preparation and maturity issues led to Washington giving up on Haskins after just one season.