Mel Kiper sees Washington as potential fit for Florida QB Kyle Trask

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article_body => "The Washington Football Team is several weeks into the 2021 offseason, yet the franchise is not any closer to finding its longtime quarterback of the future. Sure, free agency hasn't even begun yet, but we've already seen Matt Stafford, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz all get moved.<\/p>\r\n\r\nAnother path for Washington to find its franchise quarterback could be through the draft. But, Ron Rivera's club picks 19th in the annual April event this year thanks to an improbable NFC East title, meaning it's likely all of the top quarterbacks are gone by the time it's Washington's turn to pick.<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe first round isn't the only time Washington could consider drafting a quarterback, though. Longtime NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper said on a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.espn.com\/radio\/play\/_\/id\/30986639\">conference call with reporters<\/a> on Monday that he could see the Burgundy and Gold using a second-round pick on Florida star Kyle Trask.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"I'm thinking second-round for Kyle Trask. I think Washington would be another team [interested],\" Kiper said.<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe analyst's mention of Washington came after he said Pittsburgh could be a fit for Trask, too, as they'll be looking for an \"heir apparent\" to Ben Roethlisberger. Kiper also mentioned Chicago as a possible destination, should they want to draft a quarterback, and any QB-needy team that passes on one in the first round.<\/p>\r\n\r\nWhere Trask will be drafted has been up for debate often throughout the draft process.<\/p>\r\n\r\nThe Florida quarterback was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season and led the nation in several statistical categories, but there are concerns about his translation to the next level. Some experts think Trask could sneak into the latter part of the first round, but Kiper is not one of them.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<a href=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/washington-football\">Download and Subscribe to the Washington Football Talk podcast<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n<iframe height=\"230px><\/iframe>\r\n\r\nSkeptical already? Well, the numbers\u00a0highlight the difference he made when he was in the lineup, something that sadly didn't happen enough due to the 2018 leg injury.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\nIn 16 Smith starts, Washington posted an 11-5 record. In the 33 contests that someone else headed up the offense, they went 6-27. Gesticulate all you want about how that can't be traced solely to the veteran \u2014 your points are understood and valid, don't worry \u2014 but when the operation is successful with him and so, so unsuccessful without him, you can't dismiss his impact. If anything, you must recognize it.<\/p>\r\n\r\nThere's plenty of anecdotal evidence to back up how Smith's intangibles contributed to the cause, too.<\/p>\r\n\r\nA few years ago, long snapper Nick Sundberg described to NBC Sports Washington the absolute trust that everyone in the locker room had in the passer, because they understood that he had been in every kind of situation a pro football player could ever experience and they felt like he had the tools to navigate the team through anything. Sundberg also spoke to the void that existed once Smith went down in his debut campaign.<\/p>\r\n\r\nIn 2020, meanwhile, Smith's return to action enlivened what was a struggling bunch. Chase Young would tell anyone who'd listen how much he appreciated Smith, and Rivera would bring up examples to the media of how Smith's\u00a0<a data-cke-saved-href=\" src=\"https:\/\/art19.com\/shows\/washington-football\/episodes\/0c996ed0-a027-4c8f-852b-9ce4db4de155\/embed\" width=\"100%\">vast knowledge proved \"invaluable\" for a mostly-young unit. <\/iframe><\/p>\r\n\r\n\"I would say more Pittsburgh and more Washington would be possibilities for Kyle Trask when you get into that second-round mix,\" Kiper said. \"I would say second-round for Trask, not late first like some others have suggested over the last couple of months.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\nAccuracy is Trask's biggest strength heading into the NFL, something Kiper believes will fare well for him entering the league. But, the longtime draft analyst worries about his tendency to lock on to his primary read.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"It's limited. He's a pocket guy. I thought he went through his progressions pretty well,\" Kiper said. \"He did lock in on [one receiver] at times. The Georgia game, there could have been an interception, a pick-six that would have turned that game around...There are times where he'll stare down the primary receiver.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\nTwo other areas of concern for Kiper regarding the Heisman Trophy finalist were Trask's lack of mobility and whether his success was a product of having plenty of talent around him.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"Obviously, having Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney gave him two great weapons. They're two elite players, both going to be excellent professional players,\" Kiper said. \"He had talent around him. He had backs that could catch the ball out of the backfield...He doesn't in the way of mobility in terms of putting pressure on his offensive line.\"<\/p>\r\n\r\nTrask's football journey has been full of twists and turns. In high school, the quarterback was not a high-profile recruit, partially because he sat behind current Miami quarterback D'Eriq King. Then at Florida, he didn't have the chance to become the starter until a quarter of the way through his junior season in 2019.<\/p>\r\n\r\nNow, after turning in one of the best statistical seasons from a quarterback in recent memory, Trask is firmly in the mix to be a Day 1 or Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft. That progression alone has impressive Kiper and proves the quarterback still has even more room to grow.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\"But he came a long way during his career to get to the point where you're talking about a second-round pick,\" Kiper said. \"It's pretty amazing from where he was to where he is right now.\"<\/p>\r\n"
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Commanders

/ by Ethan Cadeaux

Commanders

The Washington Football Team is several weeks into the 2021 offseason, yet the franchise is not any closer to finding its longtime quarterback of the future. Sure, free agency hasn't even begun yet, but we've already seen Matt Stafford, Jared Goff and Carson Wentz all get moved.

Another path for Washington to find its franchise quarterback could be through the draft. But, Ron Rivera's club picks 19th in the annual April event this year thanks to an improbable NFC East title, meaning it's likely all of the top quarterbacks are gone by the time it's Washington's turn to pick.

The first round isn't the only time Washington could consider drafting a quarterback, though. Longtime NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper said on a conference call with reporters on Monday that he could see the Burgundy and Gold using a second-round pick on Florida star Kyle Trask.

"I'm thinking second-round for Kyle Trask. I think Washington would be another team [interested]," Kiper said.

The analyst's mention of Washington came after he said Pittsburgh could be a fit for Trask, too, as they'll be looking for an "heir apparent" to Ben Roethlisberger. Kiper also mentioned Chicago as a possible destination, should they want to draft a quarterback, and any QB-needy team that passes on one in the first round.

Where Trask will be drafted has been up for debate often throughout the draft process.

The Florida quarterback was a Heisman Trophy finalist last season and led the nation in several statistical categories, but there are concerns about his translation to the next level. Some experts think Trask could sneak into the latter part of the first round, but Kiper is not one of them.

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vast knowledge proved "invaluable" for a mostly-young unit.

"I would say more Pittsburgh and more Washington would be possibilities for Kyle Trask when you get into that second-round mix," Kiper said. "I would say second-round for Trask, not late first like some others have suggested over the last couple of months."

Accuracy is Trask's biggest strength heading into the NFL, something Kiper believes will fare well for him entering the league. But, the longtime draft analyst worries about his tendency to lock on to his primary read.

"It's limited. He's a pocket guy. I thought he went through his progressions pretty well," Kiper said. "He did lock in on [one receiver] at times. The Georgia game, there could have been an interception, a pick-six that would have turned that game around...There are times where he'll stare down the primary receiver."

Two other areas of concern for Kiper regarding the Heisman Trophy finalist were Trask's lack of mobility and whether his success was a product of having plenty of talent around him.

"Obviously, having Kyle Pitts and Kadarius Toney gave him two great weapons. They're two elite players, both going to be excellent professional players," Kiper said. "He had talent around him. He had backs that could catch the ball out of the backfield...He doesn't in the way of mobility in terms of putting pressure on his offensive line."

Trask's football journey has been full of twists and turns. In high school, the quarterback was not a high-profile recruit, partially because he sat behind current Miami quarterback D'Eriq King. Then at Florida, he didn't have the chance to become the starter until a quarter of the way through his junior season in 2019.

Now, after turning in one of the best statistical seasons from a quarterback in recent memory, Trask is firmly in the mix to be a Day 1 or Day 2 pick in the NFL Draft. That progression alone has impressive Kiper and proves the quarterback still has even more room to grow.

"But he came a long way during his career to get to the point where you're talking about a second-round pick," Kiper said. "It's pretty amazing from where he was to where he is right now."