NFL analyst believes Commanders should be most aggressive team in the draft

[ASFN Admin]

The Washington Commanders' 2024 season was magical. It wasn't supposed to go the way that it did after winning just three games in 2023, but the combination of Adam Peters, Dan Quinn, and Jayden Daniels proved to be the perfect concoction for a fresh start. Not only did the team improve over the previous season, but it also had its best season in over 30 years.

Next week, the 2025 NFL draft takes place in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Every team is working through its evaluations and finalizing processes so that their draft board is ready come April 24. ESPN's Ben Solak recently attempted to discern each NFL team's strategy and which players they might draft or which teams might trade back, and what that might cost. For the Commanders, he suggests they keep their foot on the gas.

Picks: Nos. 29, 61, 128, 205, 245

No team should approach the draft more aggressively than the Commanders. They've already started this process, selling picks to acquire veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. and left tackle Laremy Tunsil. Once you make the NFC Championship Game in your rookie quarterback's first season as a pro, you commit. Get the chips to the middle of the table. Trade up. Swing for the stars.

The Commanders could use impactful players at two key positions: edge rusher and safety. Depth remains strong on the edge, and the presence of Frankie Luvu elevates the group -- but the primary sack-getter last season was Dante Fowler Jr. (10.5), and he left for Dallas in free agency. With the No. 29 pick, Washington could catch a falling Mykel Williams (Georgia) and Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M), but both are projects with upside as pass rushers. Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) is the pro-ready pass rusher with the sort of explosive outside rush profile Dan Quinn loves.

Solak goes on to discuss that the Commanders could be in the range of drafting safeties Nick Emmanwori from South Carolina and Malaki Starks from Georgia, if they're available at 29; otherwise, drafting a safety in Round 3 is needed. They could also use a boundary corner so that Mike Sainristil can move to the inside, and adding a wide receiver who can replace Deebo Samuel when his contract expires is a good idea.

What the Commanders need the most is depth. There are positions they need to fill more than others, but they mostly need bodies. Solak concludes with one final piece of advice:

"If a highly rated receiver, offensive lineman or defensive tackle does fall into the Commanders' lap, they should leap at the chance. 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."

The Commanders can go just about any direction with their first-round pick, and selecting the best player available may not be the best option. They must have their draft board finalized and ready with players they think are worthy of the 29th overall pick. If none of those players are available when the time comes, they should consider trading back for more picks instead.

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: NFL analyst breaks down why Commanders should be aggressive in draft

Continue reading...