The Washington Football Team has not found its long-term answer at quarterback yet. But after signing Ryan Fitzpatrick to go with Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen and Steven Montez, team decisionmakers are “very confident and comfortable” in their quarterbacks.
So Washington doesn’t feel pressure to address the quarterback position in the draft.
In fact, the team’s free agency signings, which addressed several needs, allow it truly to draft the best player available in the draft, coach Ron Rivera said Friday.
“I think what our front office did and what we were able to do in free agency really helped us,” Rivera said, via Ethan Cadeaux of NBCSportsWashington.com. “I think we freed ourselves up because of what they did.”
Washington addressed its receiver need by signing Curtis Samuel and Adam Humphries.
It also found a cornerback to start opposite Kendall Fuller in William Jackson III.
Washington still could use a linebacker and a left tackle, and it will have options available at No. 19 and over the entire three days of the draft. Virginia Tech tackle Christian Darrisaw and Notre Dame linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah are among popular mock draft selections for the team in the first round.
“I think [front office executives] Martin [Mayhew] and Marty [Hurney] and their guys really helped put us in a position where we’ve got to really look at drafting best player available, but always keeping in mind what we feel the true need is,” Rivera said.