Even though Derrius Guice, considered a first-round talent, dropped to the second round, Washington’s new running back is ready to add a new layer to the offense.
Throughout the lead up to the 2018 NFL Draft, LSU running back Derrius Guice was considered the No. 2 prospect at the position behind only Penn State’s Saquon Barkley.
Guice was graded so highly that multiple mock drafts had the Washington Redskins selecting him with the No. 13-overall pick.
The Redskins would ultimately draft Guice. But it wasn’t until the 59-overall selection.
Washington originally held the 44th pick in the second round, but traded with the San Francisco 49ers to net a third round pick along with the spot in which Guice would be selected.
Redskins head coach Jay Gruden said “there was concern” that Guice wouldn’t be on the board when Washington went back on the clock, but the 20-year-old was still available for their taking.
“We’re lucky to get him, man,” Gruden said. “This is a hard-nosed runner, plays hard, he can catch a football, he can pass protect, he’s got good vision and [he’s] a guy we really liked in the early rounds. And to add the third-round pick and get Geron [Christian] was a great benefit for us. We had second-round grades, high first-round for Derrius on both of those cats and we’re lucky to get them both.”
The Redskins met with Guice multiple times throughout the winter and had nothing but positive experiences with him.
“I think when we’re talking about pre-draft visits, what we’re trying to accomplish here is how they can learn the game and how he would fit with our football team,” Gruden said. “Get to know him as a kid, number one. See how he can learn, number two. We feel confident that he can learn our stuff. We’ll keep a close eye on him like we do with all our players, without a doubt. He’s a young kid, but he’s a physical runner and I think he’s a very good football player, and at the end of the day, it’s our…
