Examining Commanders’ potential needs using ‘The Beast’ NFL Draft guide

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Quarterback Jayden Daniels became the apparent choice for the Washington Commanders with the No. 2 overall selection leading into the 2025 NFL Draft. Little is evident with their first-rounder or subsequent picks this cycle. This is among many reasons to bookmark The Athletic’s 2025 draft guide, aka Dane Brugler’s “The Beast.”

The Commanders’ first pick is No. 29. Predicting which players will be available to choose from is a dart throw. Due to free-agent signings and two recent trades, Washington has no screaming needs, which means numerous positions and paths are in play. That includes trading out of the first round to add more picks, a possibility when you have a mere five with only three in the first 128 selections, plus two picks post-200.

A few positional scenarios stand out. Brugler’s voluminous guide will help direct this journey.

Edge rusher

The Commanders have constructed a viable yet unsexy defensive end rotation for the coming season. However, no prominent performer exists at a critical position, nor is there an apparent pass rusher likely to replace the 10 1/2 sacks generated last season by new Dallas Cowboys edge Dante Fowler Jr. Projected starters Dorance Armstrong and ex-New England Patriot Deatrich Wise combined for 10 sacks in 2024.

As Brugler’s rankings reflect, this class offers ample opportunity for improvement. Six edge rushers received first-round grades. Even if the Round 1 shelf is clear by No. 29, Brugler has 14 edge rushers worthy of second-round picks and 17 among his top 100 prospects. By comparison, cornerback (11), another area of need for Washington, thins out deeper into the first 100. Same with wide receiver (12) and running back (nine).

Therefore, the Commanders may remain patient with adding pass rushers or players capable of helping last season’s 30th-ranked run defense, but not including an edge defender in the final haul would be surprising.

Along with Abdul Carter (Penn State), who will likely go in the top five, Jalon Walker (Georgia), Shemar Stewart (Texas A&M), Mike Green (Marshall), Mykel Williams (Georgia) and Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) are the others with first-round assessments. There’s enough variance with other notable big boards — NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah slots five pass rushers between 20 and 30 — which suggests a slide into reasonable trade-up range for Washington is possible.

In a stick-and-pick world, the bendy Ezeiruaku is the best bet to be there at 29, though don’t hold your breath after a season with 16 1/2 sacks and 21 tackles for loss. Another wave of edge defenders will go before Washington’s second-round pick (No. 61), but the potential options are interesting. Arkansas’ Landon Jackson and Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton are highly competitive all-around linemen who fit the Commanders’ preferred traits, including being college team captains.

UCLA’s Oluwafemi Oladejo, a linebacker until switching positions during the 2024 campaign, is the wild card, having received some first-round buzz. Expand the list into the fourth round, and Brugler’s rankings include 24 edge defenders versus 16 cornerbacks. That doesn’t mean Washington should plan to wait before drafting one, but it can. Positional importance puts edge defenders high on any logical needs list for the Commanders.

Cornerback

Here’s another position where Washington can comfortably enter the season with the projected rotation, especially if the staff sees a bounce-back year for four-time Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore.

Mike Sainristil, a 2024 second-round pick, impressed during his rookie season playing outside or in the slot. Free-agent addition Jonathan Jones could start at either of those spots, and Noah Igbinoghene re-signed after a breakout season playing inside. It’s plausible that a first- or second-round choice jumps Jones or Igbinoghene on the depth chart, but the future is the focus. Only Sainristil is a lock to return in 2026.

Brugler’s rankings show five cornerbacks among his top 39 prospects, headlined by Colorado’s Travis Hunter and Michigan’s Will Johnson. Jahdae Barron (Texas) is lower than the consensus on Brugler’s list. Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston smoked the combine with a 4.28 40 time, and his three interceptions returned for touchdowns reveal his playmaking traits. Ole Miss’ Trey Amos, a first-team All-SEC selection, is Brugler’s CB5.

If we’re talking about best fits, we’re talking about East Carolina’s Shavon Revel Jr. Revel’s injury history (broken hand in 2022, ACL tear in 2024) and age (23 on Saturday) could work against him. Still, he generated first-round attention after a breakout 2023 campaign highlighting sticky coverage, impressive size and press corner traits.

As noted earlier, Brugler had significantly fewer corners on his board through the second and fourth rounds than edge defenders. Washington’s pass defense numbers were acceptable on the surface only because opponents gashed the group on the ground. The Commanders finished with seven interceptions last year. Five of the seven NFC playoff teams last season had at least 13.

All will improve if Lattimore shows that his previous excellence is not a thing of the past. That’s not necessarily a risk worth taking.

After a 10-hour overnight shift at Amazon, Shavon Revel drove to Greenville for a tryout at ECU, which put him on an NFL path.

Near-deadly car accident. ACL rehab. His journey has been hurdle after hurdle, but the potential top-50 pick remains focused:https://t.co/tYWSxir2KG

— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) March 6, 2025

Offensive playmaker

The offense is obviously Washington’s strongest unit, especially after trades for left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel. However, investing more in the Daniels-led group is appropriate.

The Commanders return the bulk of last season’s offensive skill players that contributed to the league’s fifth-highest scoring attack. There are immediate concerns, though, namely the lack of speed and long-term options. Here’s the list of Washington’s primary running backs, wide receivers and tight ends under contract beyond 2025: Luke McCaffrey, John Bates and Ben Sinnott.

All-Pro wide receiver Terry McLaurin would join the group if he agrees to a contract extension. That’s massive, but Washington would have to re-sign or replace Samuel and Noah Brown next offseason, even if McCaffrey takes a significant jump in his sophomore campaign. The running back room, a group lacking a home run threat, would start from scratch entering 2026. Zach Ertz, who re-signed on a one-year deal and turns 35 this season, had seven of the eight touchdowns and 66 of the 79 receptions generated by the tight end room in 2024.

Therefore, the goal is to find players who could crack the various rotations this season and be positioned as starters in 2026. Brugler’s running back rankings placed five among the top 60 overall prospects. He doesn’t see Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson (RB4) as a between-the-tackles type of runner, “but his bursts of speed make him a home run threat, and coaches can trust him to execute without the football. His versatile skill set will be an immediate upgrade to an NFL backfield.”

Henderson’s arrival would mean less work for Austin Ekeler and possibly Brian Robinson Jr. Factor in a plus grade in pass protection, and Henderson would be a fascinating addition if Washington sees him as putting the offense over the top. That final point is the difference between finding someone who can play the position and someone who can help redefine the offense.

There aren’t many of those — Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton are likely off the board well before pick 29 — even though this is considered a deep class. Brugler has nine running backs among his top 100 prospects, but only five among the top 73. There’s a similar story at wide receiver. Of the nine in his top 87 (not including the dual-threat Hunter), only Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan received a pure first-round grade from Brugler.

Washington can get by with its current group should Samuel, Michael Gallup and K.J. Osborn return to their previous forms; McCaffrey warrants starting reps; and Brown shows no aftereffects following last season’s internal injuries that kept him out of the playoffs. Skip acquiring more help in the draft, and they also might end up with another year of teams keying on McLaurin.

Tight end is arguably the deepest position in this year’s draft. Four in the top 41 on Brugler’s list is a significant number. The rub for Washington is that there isn’t any room outside of a fourth tight end, unless the front office is willing to slide Sinnott, a second-round pick last year, out of the rotation. And yet, counting on another healthy and highly productive season from Ertz is questionable.

(Photo of Donovan Ezeiruaku: Scott Winters / Icon Sportswire via AP)

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