Redskins have options entering draft

In recent years, 13 has been a lucky number. The Redskins would like to tap into that luck Saturday when they choose 13th in the NFL draft.

It's not a marquee pick -- chances are, the player they take won't be in attendance at Radio City Music Hall -- but the odds of a wasted pick are also minimal, if history is a guide.

Dating to 2000, every player taken at No. 13 still is active in the league, including wide receivers Lee Evans and Donte' Stallworth, and defensive tackles Ty Warren, Marcus Stroud and Adam Carriker.

The Redskins have a number of routes they could go -- if they choose to keep the pick. It's the only selection they have on the first day, and they could trade down to accumulate more picks. Or they could trade up to grab one of this year's big names.

Right now, the team's greatest needs are on the offensive and defensive lines, and the linebacker position.

This is a great year to be drafting an offensive lineman, but by the time the Redskins pick, only two big names are likely to remain.

Mississippi alum Michael Oher possesses the size and speed coaches crave but has been maddeningly inconsistent. He also is known as the subject of "The Blind Side," a book by "Moneyball" author Michael Lewis.

The Redskins might gamble on Andre Smith. He dominated while at Alabama, but after leaving the NFL combine early and then turning in a lackluster pro-day performance, he has seen his name fall out of the top 10 on most draft boards.

ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said that those concerns have been alleviated in recent weeks by Alabama coach Nick Saban.

"This kid's not an issue," Kiper said. "Nick Saban is really going to bat for this kid, and that helped the kid immensely."

At linebacker, USC's Ray Maualuga (Mah-wah-LOO-ga) has visited Redskins Park, but he, too, could be gone by the time the Redskins select.

Of course, the team that took three pass-catchers in the second round last year --receivers Devin Thomas and Malcolm Kelly and tight end Fred Davis -- could do anything. Recent speculation has centered on another USC player, quarterback Mark Sanchez.

Redskins quarterback Jason Campbell is in the final year of his contract, which would leave Todd Collins and Colt Brennan, a draft pick last year, as the remaining options.

Of course, Campbell also was hurt by lackluster performances by the three receivers the Redskins took last year. Giants General Manager Jerry Reese, who is looking at drafting a wide receiver, said that rookies at the position often encounter difficulty.

"It is a tough position to come in and play right away because defenses are so different in the NFL," he said. "And you can't just line up and think you can run your route, because defenses change. As soon as the ball is snapped, the defense changes."

If last year's second-round picks step up this season, it could make it easier for Campbell to reassert himself as the top quarterback.

But if the team trades up to draft Sanchez, he might not be given that opportunity. So Campbell will watch and wait like everybody else.

Contact Michael Phillips at (804) 649-6546 or .