Washington is looking for a right tackle in this draft, and the Redskins -- who didn't have a first-round pick -- could be zeroing in on Alabama's Cyrus Kouandjio with the No. 2 pick in the round (34th overall).
NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport tweeted Friday afternoon that the Redskins could be interested in Kouandjio. Rapoport said that while "many" teams have taken Kouandjio off their draft boards because of the knee issue, Alabama team doctor Lyle Cain told him that there are "no short-term concerns for cartilage wear. Only long-term."
"He tore his ACL, had a reconstruction done, and it went exceptionally well," Cain told Rapoport. "There was no problem. He hasn't missed a game or practice. He had no issues, no special injections. But, he does have lateral compartment early cartilage wear. Teams are worried about arthritis. But the reality is, if you take a look at the offensive linemen on NFL Pro Bowl teams, most have some form of this. It's mild cartilage wear, but he doesn't feel it. It doesn't stop him or slow him down. It doesn't affect his performance."
Friday morning on NFL Network, former NFL general manager Charley Casserly projected Kouandjio to the Redskins -- but with a caveat: "The key here is does he pass their physical?"
Kouandjio's knee issues first surfaced during February's NFL Scouting Combine, when he reportedly failed physical examinations for "multiple" NFL teams.
Last week, on NFL Network's "NFL AM," Casserly praised Kouandjio, calling him "a better prospect" than former Crimson Tide teammate D.J. Fluker, a tackle who went 11th in the 2013 draft to San Diego. Casserly called Kouandjio "a true No. 1 pick, talent-wise," but did say there were questions about the health of his knees and his ability to handle speed rushers. Casserly also said that if a team is told by doctors that Kouandjio can give them "a good four or five years" before his knees truly become a concern, the team should grab him anyway.
Washington has former first-round pick Trent Williams at left tackle and needs a bookend tackle to help protect Robert Griffin III. The Redskins also have holes in their defensive back seven, but shoring up the offensive line would seem to be of the highest priority in the second round.
Mike Huguenin can be reached at mike.huguenin@nfl.com. You also can follow him on Twitter @MikeHuguenin.
