The Washington Commanders had a breakout year last season, making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game. What was more impressive was that they did it with Jayden Daniels, a rookie quarterback in his first year in the league. The Commanders need to strike while the iron is hot, and that means making moves that will continue to help them improve. They've done so already in free agency, and now the next thing is to do so in the NFL Draft, where they have the 29th pick in the first round.
Around the league, people are hoping that the Commanders are aggressive in the draft so they can fill the holes that they need to in order to compete once again.
“If a highly rated receiver, offensive lineman or defensive tackle does fall into the Commanders' lap, they should leap at the chance,” ESPN's Ben Solak wrote. “Again: Adding high-impact, immediate contributors is the name of the game here. Trade up for falling players and take risks on guys with red flags on their eval — the sort of players who would have gone a round higher if not for injury history or poor production. Draft players you can envision starting — and mattering — in January football.”
Solak thinks that the Commanders should look at players such as Mykel Williams, Shemar Stewart, or Donovan Ezeiruaku if they want to improve their pass rush in the draft. If they're looking for safety help, Nick Emmanwori and Malaki Starks were the choices that Solak thinks could be in the Commanders' range in the draft, but it may require them to trade up.
What could the Commanders be looking for in the draft?
There are many different directions the Commanders can go in when it comes to the NFL Draft, and some think they could be looking for skill players, according to ESPN's John Keim.
“Washington would like to find a dynamic running back capable of playing on every down,” Keim wrote. “In the Commanders' past 11 games, including three games in the postseason, their running backs averaged 3.0 yards per carry or less six times. Subpar run blocking didn't help, but they need someone capable of creating more yards on the ground apart from quarterback Jayden Daniels. A speed receiver on the outside opposite Terry McLaurin remains an option, too.”
The Commanders could either upgrade on offense and defense, and it would bode well for the team. As of now, it'll just be a wait-and-see approach on what they end up prioritizing.
