The Washington Redskins have signed free agent linebacker Chris Draft according to an announcement released by the team today.
Since Draft has had experience with the 3-4 defense and defensive coordinator Jim Haslett, signing the veteran makes sense.
The former Stanford Cardinal played strong safety, starting his college career as a true freshman. Before his senior year, Draft totaled 316 career tackles, 6 sacks and 2 interceptions and earned a two-time Second-team All-Pacific Ten Conference selection. As a senior in 1997, he earned Second-team All-Pac 10 honors and led the Cardinals with 81 tackles and contributed 2 sacks and 2 interceptions. Draft graduated from Stanford with a degree in Economics.
The new Redskin was the sixth round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 1998 NFL draft. He played one game as a rookie and was then placed on the practice squad.
The 5’11”, 232 lb. linebacker was waived by Chicago prior to the start of his second regular season with the team and picked up off of waivers by the San Francisco 49ers. In San Francisco, he played in seven games, mostly on special teams.
From the 49ers, Draft went to Atlanta, staying 5 years, playing in 74 games, starting in 53. In 2003, he started all 16 games and recorded 122 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery. In 2004 Draft moved to middle linebacker from weak side linebacker as Atlanta switched to a 4-3 defense from a 3-4. He played in 14 games with 13 starts and posted 81 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception and 3 passes defensed.
In 2005, the Draft was signed by the Carolina Panthers. He played in all 16 games in first season in Carolina, also playing in all three play-off games. In 2006 he started all 16 games for second time in his career and he made 111 tackles, had 5.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles and 2 fumble recoveries
After the 2006 season, the journeyman went from Carolina to the St. Louis Rams, which is where he met Jim Haslett, and signed a 3-year contract. He played in all 16 games with 7 starts in his first season as a Ram and registered 54 tackles (40 solo) including 1 sack. His 14 special teams tackles ranked fourth on the team. In 2008 he made 41 tackles and defended 2 passes. He was released from the Rams in September of 2009.
Draft came to the Redskins from the Buffalo Bills. The Bills had signed Draft to a 1 year contract after placing starting linebacker Kawika Mitchell on injured reserve with a knee injury. With Buffalo, the linebacker played in all 16 games, with three starts. He registered 43 tackles and 1 interception on defense and added 5 stops on special teams.
The Stanford graduate has appeared in 150 games, with 88 starts, over 12 seasons since entering the NFL in 1998.
Born Feb. 26, 1976, Draft attended Valencia High School in Placentia, Calif.