The date was April 28, 2018 and it was time for the last pick in the NFL Draft. The Washington Redskins were on the clock and had a brief amount of time to make the 256th pick in round seven; otherwise known as “Mr. Irrelevant“.
Mr. Irrelevant:
With the pick locked in, the Redskins make it official and select Southern Methodist University wide receiver, Trey Quinn.
Relevant #Skins
— Trey Quinn (@treyquinn8) April 28, 2018
Although he signed with LSU out of high school, he didn’t make a name for himself there. In just two years with the Tigers, Quinn had 22 catches for 276 yards. He had to sit out 2016 season due to transfer rules by the NCAA. Quinn really opened the eyes of NFL scouts in his last year at SMU in 2017 where he had 114 catches for 1,236 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Relevant:
“He’s a quiet assassin. He just goes out there and he’s very detailed on his routes when the ball’s in the air, he’s got strong hands, quarterback-friendly target. Trey is a guy we’re gonna rely on to be able to play multiple spots.”
Those were the words of Redskins head coach Jay Gruden when he saw Quinn’s skills at OTAs. The last sentence in the quote should stand out to Redskins fans. It doesn’t necessarily mean he will get a lock at wide receiver spot; but he could become a valuable punt returner or kick returner.
Special Teams:
Between LSU and SMU combined, Quinn had five punt returns for 20 yards and averaged around 3.3 yards on every attempt. However, he did not return any kickoffs for LSU, he did so for SMU where he had five kickoff returns for 113 yards and averaged 22.6 yards.
Although none of those stats stand out for anyone and they surely aren’t eye popping stats, it is something that the Redskins can take notice of and help him in that spot if they feel a need for him on the special teams unit.
Valuable Traits:
Quinn will become a valuable asset for the Redskins not only in 2018 but for the future as well. He has the traits of another small receiver who plays slot for the Dallas Cowboys and his name is Cole Beasley.
As much as that name probably is a thorn in the side to Skins’ fans, just know that the pain will be felt by Cowboy fans as Quinn will likely be their archenemy for years to come.
