NFL Mock Draft 2018: Complete 7-Round projections

No team fared worse against the run last season than the Washington Redskins. The ‘Skins were a sieve up the middle, allowing 134.1 yards per game and a staggering 4.5 yards per carry. The front seven needs an overhaul, and there are several options available midway through the first round.

Inside linebacker Roquan Smith out of Georgia is the play-making field general the Redskins need. Mason Foster and Zach Brown were solid players, but the burst and intensity of Smith should propel him into the starting lineup immediately.

Smith was already a top prospect before leading the Bulldogs to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. In that game the SEC Defensive Player of the Year tallied a season high 13 tackles, and added a sack in a heroic performance. That came on the heels of an 11-tackle game in the semifinal against Oklahoma at the Rose Bowl.

What separates Smith is his motor. He flies to the football, smothering ball carriers almost instantaneously. Smith shuts down run lanes in a split second and is quick off the block. He’s going to give NFC East running backs trouble.