Washington selects another defensive back and a center in rounds 2 and 3

April 28, 2023

by Steve Thomas

The Washington Redskins drafted Illinois defensive back Jartavius Martin in round 2 and Arkansas center Ricky Stromberg in round 3 of the 2023 NFL draft.

Martin, who is 5’11” and 194 pounds, is a fifth year senior who played in a total of 50 games between 2018 and 2022, and made a total of 225 tackles, including 148 solo and 10.5 for loss, and had 7 interceptions and 1 sack.  In 2022, Martin played in 13 games, and made 64 tackles, including 51 solo and 3 for loss, and had 3 interceptions and 1 sack.  At the NFL Combine, Martin ran the 40 yard dash in 4.46 seconds, jumped 44 inches in the vertical leap and 11’1” in the standing broad jump, and did 15 bench press reps.

Martin’s biggest strength is his versatility.  He has good prototypical NFL size, and possessed the ability to play in many different roles in the defensive backfield, which is something Washington’s coaching staff values highly.  Martin is very athletic: his 44 inch vertical leap at the Combine was elite, in the neighborhood of an elite NBA guard.  Also, scouts noted his explosiveness during that event.  Analysts view his weaknesses to include below-average route recognition and below average ability to play on the outside.  Many scouts had Martin rated as a third round talent.

It’s hard to see what head coach Ron Rivera was thinking with this pick, as Martin doesn’t really fill a big need in the defense, which becomes even more critical with glaring, continuing, gross negligence-level deficiencies in the offensive line and linebacker groups.  It seems like that Martin was simply the top-ranked player on the team’s board when the pick came around, which may not be an entirely wise strategy.  My guess is that Martin may initially fill the nickel corner / hybrid linebacker role, but he may not be able to earn an immediate starting role in 2023 unless either Kendall Fuller is cut or Martin challenges Darrick Forrest for a safety job.

Stromberg, 6’3” and 306 pounds, spent four seasons at the University of Arkansas, playing in 46 games, and was a 4 year starter, including 9 as a freshman.  Stromberg is a center, but also had starts at both left and right guard.  He was an All-SEC selection in both 2021 and 2022, and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 2022, which is given to the SEC’s best blocker.  At the NFL Combine, Stromberg ran the 40 yard dash in  5.26 seconds and jumped 32.5 inches in the vertical leap and 9’3” in the standing broad jump.  He did not do the bench press.

Stromberg’s most obvious strength is his experience – he was a four year starter in the most competitive conference in the country.  However, scouts noted that he consistently lost battles with the SEC’s top-ranked defensive lineman, so Washington’s offensive line coaches will have to evaluate his capacity to step in as a starter.  Many scouts had him rated as a fourth round talent or lower.

Washington has a number of centers on the roster, including the highly-paid and talented Chase Roullier, so center was probably the lesser need in the group.  Nevertheless, the position struggled greatly with injuries for the last two years, including to Roullier, so this was probably a decent pick even if he was a bit of a reach in round 3.  Stromberg will have his opportunity to prove he belongs.  It’s difficult to think that he can replace Roullier immediately, if Roullier is healthy, but we’ll see.