Jay Gruden did what I thought was the impossible when he resurrected a team that has helplessly floated in mediocrity the past decade into a playoff team.  

Granted the Redskins were the recipient of a division full of injuries and distractions with the likes of Tony Romo lost for the season and Chip Kelly garnishing plenty of negative attention in Philadelphia.

Even so, Gruden rode the hot arm of journeyman Kirk Cousins while implementing his own offensive scheme and identity into the team's first playoff berth since 2012.

While the playoff glory spotlight was short lived thanks to the Green Bay Packers buzz saw  in round-one, there was still plenty to build upon from the 2015 season.  

Gruden’s biggest challenge however, will be to make sure the team doesn't stay complacent and enjoy their short-term success too much.  In a division where Romo will return to play with a top-10 defense, and Eli Manning will undoubtedly make things interesting again, the Redskins will have a much tougher time repeating as division champions if they fail to develop more talent.

In continuing with this 32 article series, here's a look at the top needs for the Washington Redskins as well as a seven-round mock draft we ran through the FanSpeak mock draft simulator. We manually picked for Washington while the picks for all other 31 teams were selected by the simulator.

  1. Nose Tackle

Whether its speed, power, or toughness the Redskins defense has lacked a true identity over the past few seasons as the front office continues to try and rebuild the once dominating and opportunistic unit.

With the surprising departure of Terrance Knighton general manager Scot McCloughan is suddenly behind the eight-ball when it comes to ranking his most pressing needs forced to value the interior line more than ever.   

Throughout time every great 3-4 defensive team has had a nose tackle that can flat out dominate and take over games in the trenches by chewing up blockers and allowing teammates behind them to fly to the ball.  

I’ve gone on record saying Baylor’s Andrew Billings is the best pure nose tackle in this draft with his mammoth frame, and strength to push defenders into the backfield and blow up plays before they begin.

McGlaughn should be praying Billings lasts to pick 21 making the decision a no brainer, but if he doesn’t there are plenty of good options on day-two thanks to a rich class of interior defensive lineman.

2. Strong Safety  

The front office did it right when they selected cornerback Bashaud Breeland from Clemson in the fourth-round as he has been a pleasant surprise continuing to develop into a legitimate starter.  Playing behind him though sits aging Deangelo Hall who made the switch to strong safety hoping to further the longevity of his career.  While it's true Hall has been an okay stop gap the Redskins need to find someone to groom this year and be set to move on from Hall after the 2016 season.  

Luckily for them this class while not deep in the free-safety department is loaded with big hitters that can load up the box and play hard nosed football.  Guys like Duke’s Jeremy Cash and Florida’s Keanu Neal are just a few names, but rest assured the value and depth of players will be available will give the team plenty of great options no matter the round.

3. Defensive End

I’m still upset the team did not find a way to bring Terrance Knighton back as he was the glue in the middle of an otherwise weak and depleted defensive line. Now the Redskins must find not only his replacement but legitimate players to lineup next to him as 3-4 defensive ends.  

While the five-technique position in the NFL isn't sexy or filled with household names the 2016 draft class is chalk full of intriguing options like Penn State’s Carl Nassib or Illinois’ Jihad Ward that have huge upside and potential.

4. Running Back   

With the departure of Alfred Morris to the division rival Cowboys Gruden must quickly trust his gut on whether running back Matt Jones can be his lead back or not.   

Even with Jones’ upside as a bruising back in Gruden’s power run scheme it's almost a necessity to have a plan b and c at a position that is notorious for running players into the ground late into the season.

The front office would be wise to look for compliment options to Jones’ physical style of play with a quick and shiftier change of pace back that can add a fresh dimension in the passing game and on third downs.  

Louisiana Tech’s Kenneth Dixon certainly fits that bill but will likely cost the team at least a third-round pick.  If the team is more inclined to wait for better value later on than a guy like Tyler Irvin from San Jose State would make a lot of sense.

5. Center  

One of the main catalysts and reasons Gruden’s power running scheme worked so well last year was because of the improved offensive line play throughout the season. Bringing in the best guard in the class certainly didn't hurt as it was clear from day one Iowa’s Brandon Scherff was going to add a new dimension of physicality to the group.  

While it isn't their most pressing need, the center position next to Scherff will need to be upgraded sooner than later.  This years draft class is surprisingly strong at the position with a lot of big named and big potential players, that like Scherff, could have an immediate impact in Gruden's offensive philosophy.  

Alabama’s Ryan Kelly is the best of the bunch but is likely to go in the top-50 picks.  Waiting for guys like Jack Allen from Michigan State or Max Turek from USC are great options on day-three allowing the team to target more pressing needs early on.