After a miserable 5-12 season, the Washington Commanders will look to regain the magic that got them to a conference championship game in 2024.
The issues were clear: the roster was too old and not talented enough. The objective for the Commanders this offseason has been to get faster, younger, and deeper. With several signings, they have mostly completed this objective. As the most active part of free agency dies down, general manager Adam Peters and the rest of the Washington brass turn their eyes to the NFL Draft.
Commanders Draft Picks:
- Round 1: Pick 7
- Round 3: Pick 71
- Round 5: Pick 147
- Round 6: Pick 187
- Round 6: Pick 209 – from 49ers
- Round 7: Pick 223
Commanders Positions of Need:
- CB
- S
- EDGE
- LB
- C
- WR
- RB
Adam Peters’ draft philosophy has always leaned towards selecting the best player available and maximizing the value of any given selection. There’s no reason to expect Peters to depart from this philosophy this time around.
Key Draft Targets for Commanders:
Caleb Downs – S – Ohio State
Pound-for-pound, Downs could very well be the best single player in this class. His instincts and technique are unprecedented among college safeties, and his athleticism and upside are there to match. He is nearly a perfect safety prospect.
It’s a very real possibility that he is there for Washington at No. 7 due to his lower positional value. For the Commanders, adding a day-one starter to a defense that lacked any sort of floor would be a huge addition. Downs fits Peters’ past best-player-available philosophy.
Jeremiyah Love – RB – Notre Dame
Love is the next in line of the Saquon Barkley, Bijan Robinson, and Ashton Jeanty group of top-ten level running-backs. He is a complete day-one prospect with major upside to become one of the league’s best.
While it may seem like a luxury pick, selecting Love at seven would be a major step towards bringing the Commanders’ offense closer to the top of the league and would likely allow Jayden Daniels to continue to flourish. The Commanders would not regret taking him with their first draft pick.
Logan Jones – C – Iowa
After releasing Tyler Biadasz, Washington needs to plug the hole at center to fill out an otherwise strong offensive line. In the third round, Jones would be an athletic plug-and-play pass protector to play at center.
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