First round, 17th overall: Christian McCaffrey, RB, Stanford

The idea of taking a running back this early, especially when Washington desperately needs defensive help, may seem absurd to some, but there is a reason behind it, starting with these remarks by Coach Jay Gruden, relayed by The Post’s Liz Clarke: “If we add one, there are some special players in the draft that would be hard to pass up if they are available.”

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Second, this is a deep draft class on the defensive side. Third, McCaffrey is a unique talent that is just as capable as a receiver as he is at running back. As a runner, he shows great patience to allow his blocks to develop and then backs that up with a strong burst to accelerate through the hole. He’s equally adept at running zone, power and gap schemes and despite not having game-changing speed, he’s rarely chased down from behind. McCaffrey can line up anywhere from out of the backfield or in the slot.

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Adding McCaffrey to Jordan Reed and Jamison Crowder inside would give Washington three fantastic receiving threats inside the numbers while Terrelle Pryor and Josh Doctson work outside. Being able to spread the defense out like that will only help Kirk Cousins and perhaps help convince him he won’t get a better supporting cast anywhere else.

Second round, 49th overall: Jarrad Davis, ILB, Florida

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I first noticed Davis while watching other Gators. He made play after play, game after game, and kept catching my eye. Listed at 6-foot-1, 238 pounds, Davis is an athletic linebacker who plays with tone-setting physicality. He’s very instinctive and will be quick to work downhill to plug running lanes. When faced with a blocker, he isn’t afraid of contact, instead exploding into blocks with good pad level and hand placement to blow up the blocker and drive him back. Davis is accomplished in coverage, with the ability to drop back and run up the seam with a tight end in man coverage or drive down on an underneath crosser in zone. His instinctive nature makes him quick to attack the line of scrimmage on run plays, but that can make him slightly vulnerable to play-action.

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Some have also questioned his durability, having suffered a number of injuries in college. But in the second round, Davis has too much natural talent to pass up on and should provide some stiff competition for one of the inside linebacker spots.

Third round, 81st overall: Dalvin Tomlinson, NT, Alabama

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During the NFL owners meetings last week, Gruden shared his belief in new defensive line coach Jim Tomsula’s ability to develop a nose tackle.

“Coach Tomsula has assured me that he will find a nose guard.” Gruden said. “If you look at his track record, you look at the nose guards that he’s had, none of them have been priority first-round draft choices. He’s made nose guards. He coaches that position extremely well and I have faith that he’ll do that.”

Tomlinson is a good choice for Tomsula’s tutelage. He’s not a quick-twitch, pass-rusher from the interior. He’s very much a stout run-stuffer that can clog up the middle and disrupt running games. He has long 33 1/2-inch arms, which give him the ability to stack and shed blockers well. Tomlinson also excels at anchoring and maintaining gap integrity, in both one and two-gap schemes, against double teams.

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He was overlooked on an extremely talented Alabama defensive line in college and doesn’t offer a great deal as a pass-rusher. But Washington needs a nose tackle that can hold the point of attack against the run, for which Tomlinson is perfectly suited.

Fourth round, 114th overall: Justin Evans, Safety, Texas A&M

With the acquisition of free agent D.J. Swearinger and the position change for Su’a Cravens, Washington appears to be set for starters. But beyond those two, Washington has plenty of questions. Evans is a solid, well-rounded safety who can play the deep middle third in a cover-three scheme or rotate down into underneath zones. I think he’s a little more suited to playing in the box, but has plenty of experience playing deep, too. He’s a good athlete who plays fast and hits hard, with a number of highlight-reel hits, but got away with some poor tackling form at times. I’d like to see him wrap-up tackle a little more often instead of falling into the trap of always going for the intimidating big hit. He could be taken higher, but in a very deep safety class, there’s every chance he could fall and he offers too much value to pass on.

Fourth round 124th overall: George Kittle, TE, Iowa

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On the surface, Washington appears pretty well set at tight end. Jordan Reed is one of the top receiving tight ends in the NFL, Vernon Davis is an excellent backup and Niles Paul is coming back after missing the latter half of last season. But given that Reed has yet to play a full 16-game season, Paul has played just 112 snaps over the past two seasons per ProFootballFocus and Davis is 33, adding a tight end might be a wise decision.

Kittle also brings something different than those three. He’s an excellent run-blocking tight end who plays with the mentality of an offensive lineman. At 247 pounds, he’s perhaps a little undersized as a blocker, but he makes up for it with desire and work ethic. He has excellent blocking technique with good pad level, great hand placement and strong footwork. Kittle could be used in a H-back or possibly fullback role, as well as a backup tight end, and should contribute on special teams too.

Fifth round, 154th overall: Josh Carraway, OLB, TCU

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Carraway is very much a developmental project. He’s more of an athlete than edge-rusher at this point, but he has good traits with which to work. He’s 6-3, 242 pounds with 34-inch arms. Carraway is a quick-twitch, bursty type of edge-rusher who will beat a tackle with speed. He has great bend to help him work around the corner and the speed to close on a quarterback once the tackle is beaten. But outside of that speed rush, he’s raw and needs work to develop the other parts of his game.

He’s stout enough as an edge-defender in the run game and if he faces an athletic tackle who can stay with him on the edge, he doesn’t always have a backup plan. But in theory, his weaknesses are coachable, while his natural traits are not. That makes him worth a look in the fifth round to strengthen the pass rush on the edge.

Sixth round, 201st overall: Tedric Thompson, FS, Colorado

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In a deep safety class, I decided to double up. While Evans is an interchangeable guy who could play either strong or free safety, Thompson is almost strictly a free safety. He’s not someone who should be in and around the box very often. He doesn’t have the frame to withstand the rigors of playing in the box and isn’t particularly instinctive when defending the run. However, Thompson is a natural free safety with great range and coverage instincts.

From single high coverage, he’ll read the quarterback’s eyes and follow them to the intended target. He’s a ballhawk who plays the ball in the air, not the receiver, which enables to him challenge the catch point and come away with interceptions. In the sixth round, Thompson provides good value and has plenty of talent to develop.

Sixth round, 209th overall: William Likely III, CB, Maryland

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At only 5-7, Likely is an undersized corner that will probably be restricted to the slot corner role. However, he has extremely quick feet that should help him match up against the smaller, quicker receivers who tend to line up in the slot. He has the ability to mirror receivers in and out of breaks and can close quickly on timing throws. Likely could also be a special teams contributor, having returned both kicks and punts in college. His size and frame is his major downfall, having suffered multiple injuries in college, including an torn anterior cruciate ligament that cut his final season in college short.

Seventh round, 220th overall: D.J. Jones, DT, Mississippi

Jones flashes potential that at times makes him look like a second- or third-round pick. He’s a big-bodied tackle with good movement skills. He combines power with a good get-off, which makes him a handful as a pass-rusher and is tough for blockers to stop him from penetrating in the run game. Unfortunately, he’s not consistent enough and can look pedestrian just as often as he flashes good potential. The seventh round is a good time to take a chance. Gruden believes in Tomsula’s ability to develop defensive linemen, so adding one with high upside late in the draft makes sense.

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Seventh round, 235th overall: C.J. Beathard, QB, Iowa