The Redskins addressed the offensive side of the ball with their last two picks on Day 2 of the NFL Draft.
The team selected UTEP quarterback Jordan Palmer with the second of two sixth-rounders on Sunday and then drafted Michigan tight end Tyler Ecker in the seventh round.
-- SIXTH ROUND: JORDAN PALMER, QB
In a surprising move, the Redskins drafted UTEP quarterback Jordan Palmer--the younger brother of Cincinnati Bengals starter Carson Palmer--with the second of two sixth-round picks. He was the 205th overall selection.
Palmer has great size for a quarterback. He is listed as 6-6 and 231 pounds.
He was a three-year starter at UTEP. He played in 46 games and completed 851-of-1,427 passes--a 60 percent completion rate--for 11,084 yards, 88 touchdowns and 64 interceptions.
Last year, Palmer completed 282-of-429 passes for a 65.7 completion percentage, 3,595 yards, 26 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
"He has thrown a ton of passes," head coach Joe Gibbs said. "He comes from a pass-oriented background. We feel he is a bright guy. He was in a big passing program and is someone we can work with at quarterback."
Palmer, nicknamed "JP," hails from Mission Viejo, Calif. His brother Carson won the Heisman Trophy at USC in 2002 and was the top pick in the 2003 Draft by the Bengals.
The Redskins currently have three quarterbacks on the roster: expected starter Jason Campbell and veterans Mark Brunell and Todd Collins. Palmer enters a situation where he will learn under quarterbacks coach Bill Lazor and continue to develop his skills.
-- SEVENTH ROUND: TYLER ECKER, TE
The Redskins drafted Michigan tight end Tyler Ecker in the seventh round of the NFL Draft. Ecker was the 216th overall selection.
Ecker, listed at 6-6 and 246 pounds, is regarded as a blocking tight end, but he may need to add bulk to compete in the NFL.
Said Joe Gibbs: "We think we got someone there that can play along the line of scrimmage. He is very bright. He comes from a first-class program and would have a chance to make our team."
Ecker enrolled in Michigan in 2002, then embarked on a two-year church mission and did not return to the Wolverines until 2003.
Overall, Ecker played in 45 games at Michigan and caught 57 passes for 695 yards, a 12.2 yards-per-catch average, and six touchdowns.
Last year, he suffered an ankle injury in the first game of the season. He ended up starting the last eight games, catching 12 passes for 55 yards and two touchdowns.
Ecker hails from El Dorado Hills, Calif. At Oak Ridge High School, he played tight end and defensive end.
