The Washington Commanders felt motivated enough by their lack of depth and talent at cornerback to make one of the splashier moves in the league before the 2024 NFL trade deadline when they swapped a 2025 third round pick, 2025 fourth round pick and 2025 sixth round pick for New Orleans Saints star Marshon Lattimore and a 2025 fifth round pick on November 5.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/73652886/2177681533.0.jpg)
It’s hard to envision that need to land an elite cornerback going anywhere soon, and with no commitment to Lattimore beyond this season it’s easy to envision the Commanders turning to the NFL draft to find an elite cornerback they can build around.
That’s why ESPN’s Matt Miller projects the Commanders will take Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison in the first round (No. 22 overall) in his latest 2025 mock draft.
Morrison is the son of former Washington safety Darryl Morrison, who played for the franchise from 1993 to 1996.
“The Commanders picked up veteran cornerback Marshon Lattimore at the trade deadline but should continue to remake their secondary to fit coach Dan Quinn’s schemes, especially with three of their current corners (Michael Davis, Benjamin St-Juste and Noah Igbinoghene) becoming free agents after the season,” Miller wrote on November 21. “Morrison, my second-ranked CB, was sidelined for the season in mid-October because of a hip injury, but he has good size (6-foot, 196 pounds), speed and instincts playing the ball, as evidenced by nine interceptions over his first two seasons.”
Lattimore has yet to play a game for the Commanders as he deals with a hamstring injury that has seen him miss the last 3 games, including his last game with the Saints.
Morrison Earned Ballhawk Reputation With Irish
Morrison, 6-foot and 190 pounds, starred in high school at Brophy (Arizona) Prep and became a starter at Notre Dame as a true freshman in 2022. He was a Freshman All-American after leading all Power Five programs with 6 interceptions and a Thorpe Award semifinalist in 2023 with 3 interceptions.
Morrison had 9 interceptions through his first 2 seasons but only played 5 games in 2024 and didn’t have any interceptions before an injury ended his season.
Morrison also has experience playing against the very best wide receivers in college football after holding his ground the last two seasons against Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr., the No. 4 overall pick by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2024 NFL draft.
“Morrison’s posted an 86.8 single-coverage grade since 2022, which paces all returning Power Five corners,” PFF’s Max Chadwick wrote in his evaluation of the best cornerbak prospects in the 2025 NFL draft. “On seven targets against Marvin Harrison Jr. over the last two years, he had more forced incompletions (three) than allowed catches (two). While there’s work to do as a tackler, Morrison has elite ball skills for the position and could be a top-10 pick next year.”
Commanders Drafted All-Time Bust at CB in 2023
If the Commanders do take Morrison, it would be the second time in 3 years they’ve used their first round pick on a cornerback.
Washington, under former head coach Ron Rivera, selected Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in the first round (No. 16 overall) of the 2023 NFL draft.
Through his first 2 seasons, Forbes has been an epic bust. He only has 7 starts, 1 interception and in 2024 he has a PFF grade of 35.4, with 7 receptions allowed on just 9 targets.
