There's lots of angst in Redskinsland over what Mike Shanahan will do in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Will he draft a young quarterback like Ryan Mallet or Jake Locker with the 10th pick in the draft? Or will he avoid the temptation and instead build within the foundation of the team, concentrating on the defensive and offensive lines?

Or will they somehow manage to trade down and get more desperately needed picks?

I recommend to all Redskins fans that they scour the internet to get a copy of the 1998 book by Shanahan, co-written by Adam Schefter, called, "Think Like A Champion."

Even though it is 13 years old, it can offer some insight into the mind of Shanahan, which has been locked like a steel trap to outside observers in his first year at Redskins Park. And used copies can be had for a penny, plus shipping costs.

One reading from Shanahan's book revealed that ironically, like Donovan McNabb, Shanahan had been a victim of leaks and questionable professional decisions by his boss, Dan Reeves, during his first stint as a coordinator in Denver.

Given the leaks that have come out of Redskins Park this year and the timing of the announcement of the benching of McNabb, the book perhaps revealed that Shanahan may have forgotten the lessons he presented in his book.

Another reading from Shanahan's book perhaps reveals the way the Redskins' boss -- the executive vice president as well as coach -- will approach the NFL Draft, or at least presents the blueprint for how he did it during his successful days in Denver.

"Every coach looks at every player before we have our first draft meeting in March," he wrote. "Then, after each defensive coach has studied each available defensive player, our staff assembles three weeks before the draft and reviews the game film together.

"We do the same thing with the offensive coaches, studying every available offensive player. Then, in the last week, every coach and every scout go over all the players together, one final tune-up before we've got a feeling about what's the right way to go.

"Now, is it error free? No, nothing is. But by having scouts talking with players, position coaches studying players, coordinators supervising their decisions and me overlooking everything, we have prepared ourselves to limit our mistakes."

The key phrase in there -- and what some critics have a problem with -- is "me overlooking everything." Personnel has been considered a Shanahan weakness by a number of critics, though his draft record in Denver in his final four seasons was very good.

The final word comes from Terrell Davis, the Denver running back who Shanahan picked in the sixth round in 1995. He wrote, "There are a lot of talented players out there who are not highly marketed when they're in college, but Mike has a knack for finding them."

So maybe the Redskins' future quarterback isn't one of the obvious names out there.

Examiner columnist Thom Loverro is the co-host of "The Sports Fix" from noon to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday on ESPN980 and espn980.com. Contact him at tloverro@washingtonexaminer.com.