Redskins Select C Ross Pierschbacher and LB Cole Holcomb in Round 5
April 27, 2019
by Steve Thomas
The Washington Redskins drafted center Ross Pierschbacher from Alabama with the 15th pick in round five and linebacker Cole Holcomb from the University of North Carolina with the 35th pick, which was a compensatory pick.
Pierschbacher, who stands 6’4” and weighs 307 pounds, becomes the 342,508th player from Alabama on the Redskins roster. He was a four year starter with the Crimson Tide, playing at left guard, right guard, and center at various times. He earned Second Team All-SEC and Second Team All-American honors in 2018. At the NFL Combine, Pierschbacher did 20 bench press reps at 225 pounds, ran the 40 yard dash in 5.20 seconds, the 3 cones drill in 7.83 seconds, and the 20 yard short shuttle in 4.7 seconds.
Pierschbacher is known as a smart, quality technical interior lineman who lacks the bulk and power to be a mauler at the NFL level, but is ideally suited to a zone scheme. He’s a good pulling guard and should transition effectively to the Redskins’ favored running system. Washington no doubt values his versatility and experience across the entirety of the interior offensive line, but Pierschbacher will need to get stronger in order to maximize his chances of earning playing time in Washington. Many analysts view him as a better center than guard in the NFL. Most importantly, he’s from Alabama, so the Redskins have fulfilled their team rule to draft at least one Crimson Tide player each year.
Holcomb is a 6’0”, 235 pound linebacker who played 43 games in four seasons at North Carolina. The Tar Heels didn’t run a 3 – 4 system, but Holcomb has the body type – perhaps a bit undersized – of a 3 – 4 inside linebacker in the NFL. He was highly productive during those years, with a total of 327 tackles, including 171 solo and 156 assisted tackles, and 2.5 sacks. In 2018, he made 104 tackles, with 59 solo and 45 assisted tackles. He did not attend the NFL Combine, but at the North Carolina pro day ran the 40 yard dash in 4.51 seconds, jumped 11’0” in the standing broad jump, and ran the 20 yard shuttle in 4.14 seconds and the 3 cone drill in 6.77 seconds. Most scouts view Holcomb as a tough and instinctive player who lacks athleticism. He was the defensive signal caller for the Tar Heels. Holcomb has an opportunity to make the team on an inside linebacker corps that was in need of an infusion of talent.
Of these two selections, Pierschbacher probably has the better chance of seeing significant playing simply due to the total lack of an entrenched starter at left guard, but Holcomb should also have a shot of getting on the field on special teams, at least, in 2019.