On the second day of the NFL Draft, the Redskins selected players who add solid depth to the team--but could also emerge as starters in a year or two.
-- Chad Rinehart, OL, Northern Iowa
The Redskins selected offensive tackle/guard Chad Rinehart in the third round of the draft on Sunday. He was the 96th overall pick.
Rinehart, 6-5 and 311 pounds, appeared in 40 games at Northern Iowa, with 37 starts at left tackle.
Stats reveal that he produced 369 knockdowns or key blocks, including 45 that resulted in touchdowns.
With Rinehart manning the left tackle position, Northern Iowa ranked 11th in the nation in total offense at 447.4 yards per game.
Rinehart said on Sunday that he is a physical lineman who has good awareness on the field.
He believes he could play either guard or tackle on the Redskins' offensive line.
"Really, I will play anywhere on the line I can contribute," he said. "I went down to the Sneior Bowl and played guard for the first time. By the end of the week, I felt more comfortable playing it. At the same time I played tackle in college, so I feel like I'm pretty versatile."
That's exactly what Redskins' offensive line guru Joe Bugel wants in his linemen.
Northern Iowa is the same college that produced Redskins punter Derrick Frost.
-- Justin "J.T." Tryon, CB, Arizona State
In the fourth round, with the pick acquired from the Tennessee Titans, the Redskins selected Arizona State cornerback Justin "J.T." Tryon.
Tryon becomes the first Redskins defensive player selected in the draft.
Tryon, 5-9 and 190 pounds, first made a name for himself at the East-West Shrine Game. He projects as a future NFL starter, but it's thought that he will need a couple years of seasoning.
"I feel like the strength of my game is in my cover skills, one on one," Tryon told reporters shortly after the selection. "But at the same time, I still have a lot of technique to work on.
Tryon was a junior college transfer to Arizona State. He earned All-Pac 10 honorable mention honors in his first season at Arizona State, ranking fourth on the squad with 47 tackles, one interception, a sack and two fumble recoveries.
As a senior, he earned All-Pac 10 second-team choice and was the club's Most Improved Defensive Player. He started all 13 games and was ranked fifth on the team in tackles with 56. He also had three interceptions--returning one for a touchdown--and 16 pass deflections.
Tryon is also a kick return specialist. As a senior, he returned seven kickoffs for a 23.7-yard average.
Tryon is aware that he is joining a Redskins club that was a playoff team last year.
"I followed the Redskins a little bit last year," the Palmdale, Calif., native said. "I know they have a real aggressive defense. That's fine with me."
Tryon said he played high school football alongside New York Giants wide receiver Steve Smith, and he's looking forward to playing Smith in the Redskins' Week 1 matchup at the Meadowlands.
-- Durant Brooks, P, Georgia Tech
The Redskins selected Georgia Tech punter Durant Brooks with the first of their three sixth-round draft picks. He was the 168th player selected in the draft.
He is expected to compete with veteran Derrick Frost for the Redskins' punting job next season.
Brooks was the recipient of the Ray Guy Award in 2007 as the nation's top punter. Coincidentally, Guy has been a family friend and Brooks's mentor.
"My mom and Ray Guy are from the same town [Thompson, Ga.]," Brooks said. "They know him. They see him in the grocery store."
Brooks added: "I went to two of his camps. He would just run into my mom and he would ask how I was doing. Once I got into college, I worked with him a few times. He kind of stayed away a little bit in college because he didn't want anyone saying I was getting the award just because he is a friend. He has been really great helping me.
In two years at Georgia Tech, Brooks shattered school and conference records. He logged 144 punts for a 45.-yard average, with a long of 77 yards. He had 20 punts go for touchbacks and 68 downed inside the 20.
"I have a hard work ethic, I'm a team player and I'm very coach-able," Brooks said.
The last time the Redskins drafted a punter was in 1993, when the team chose Ed Bunn of UTEP in the third round.
-- Kareem Moore, DB, Nicholls State
The Redskins selected Nicholls State defensive back Kareem Moore with their next sixth-round pick, at No. 180 overall.
Moore, 5-11 and 213 pounds, played two years at Nicholls State, located in Louisiana. In 21 games, he started 17 contests and recorded 141 tackles, five interceptions and two forced fumbles.
Moore also was a kick returner last year, averaging 20.4 yards per kickoff return and 9.1 yards per punt return.
Last year, Moore was an Associated Press All-American second-team selection and All-Southland first-team selection.
The Redskins have just three safeties on their roster, so the team was expected to draft a defensive back at some point in the draft.
-- Colt Brennan, QB, Hawaii
The Redskins went into the NFL draft expecting to take a quarterback in the later rounds. Team officials followed through--but were able to draft a quarterback some had projected to go in early rounds.
The Redskins drafted Hawaii quarterback Colt Brennan with their final sixth-round pick, at No. 186 overall.
Brennan was regarded as among the top quarterbacks in the draft and had a record-setting season last year, but he fell due to a poor performance in the Sugar Bowl and injury concerns.
Brennan is the owner of 21 NCAA records. Last year, he set a record with his 34th consecutive game of throwing for at least 200 yards. His 20 games with at least 400 yards in total offense also set an all-time mark.
His average of 387.8 yards per game in total offense and a pass completion percentage of .712 are just some of the other notable national marks he set at Hawaii.
Brennan ran the classic run-and-shoot offense, a pass-happy scheme devised by former Hawaii head coach June Jones.
Brennan was a third-team All-American choice last year. He completed 359-of-510 passes--a 70.4 completion percentage--for 4,343 yards, 38 touchdowns and 17 interceptions.
His junior season was even better. Brennan completed 406-of-559 passes--a career-high 72.6 completion percentage--for 5,549 yards, 58 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Brennan, who grew up in Irvine, Calif., expects to make a quick transition to the West Coast offense run by Jim Zorn.
"It's what I grew up in our here in southern California," he said. "I have some background in it. I really can't wait to get back in it. I know I can run it. I'm just grateful for the opportunity."
Brennan decided to undergo hip surgery this offseason, so he might not be available to work with the team in mini-camp and OTAs.
Asked about his health, Brennan said: "I'm doing great. The doctor said that I'm on the path to full recovery. The surgery was a complete success. I'm about six weeks to being 100 percent.
"Basically, I can't wait to get out there and let their doctors and staff get me through the rehab process."
He expects to be fully healthy ready for training camp.
Brennan was ecstatic when he learned he was drafted.
"To be honest, as the day was progressing I was really thinking, 'Maybe I'm a free agent guy, maybe I'm a seventh-round pick,'" he said. "When I got the phone call, I couldn't have been more excited. I'm just so excited to be a Washington Redskin."
-- Rob Jackson, DE, Kansas State
The Redskins addressed defensive line in the draft with the selection of Kansas State's Rob Jackson in the seventh round. He was the 242nd overall pick.
Jackson, 6-4 and 259 pounds, is a high-motor defensive end who has good size and speed as a pass rusher.
Jackson played two years at Kansas State, starting 23-of-25 games. He recorded 61 tackles, 31 tackles for a loss, 6.5 sacks and one forced fumble.
Jackson is related to basketball Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy.
-- Chris Horton, DB, UCLA
The Redskins selected defensive back Chris Horton with their final pick of the draft. The team grabbed Horton in the seventh round--the 249th overall pick in the draft.
Horton, 6-1 and 210 pounds, started every game the last two seasons for the Bruins. He finished his career with 238 tackles and 13 sacks.
Horton is regarded as a solid run defender but needs improvement in coverage. He could make an impact on special teams in his rookie season.
At UCLA, Horton was coached by defensive coordinator DeWayne Walker, who coached with the Redskins from 2004-05.
