The Washington Commanders are undoubtedly one of the hottest teams in football right now. Their rookie QB, Jayden Daniels, has turned the franchise around and made Washington must watch TV every Sunday. With that being said, the team is a few pieces away from becoming true Super Bowl contenders. Because of that, this upcoming offseason will be massive in correlation to their future. Today, I’ll take a look into the future and project how their NFL Draft may go.
Round 1 Pick 24: Tre Harris, WR, Ole Miss
Washington has been searching for a true WR2 since Terry McLaurin burst onto the scene 5 years ago. Since then, they’ve cycled through Kelvin Harmon, Cam Sims, Curtis Samuel, Jahan Dotson, and most recently, Olamide Zaccheaus and Noah Brown as their WR2s. I believe that Tre Harris could be the answer to their wideout woes, and serve as a long lasting target for franchise QB Jayden Daniels. Harris will be able to thrive opposite of McLaurin, as he will force the defense to hone in on one of the two deep threats. His been of speed and ball tracking give him a s high ceiling could allow him to be a dynamic catalyst for the Commanders offense. If Harris can develop chemistry with Daniels early, Washington might finally have the one-two punch at receiver they’ve been searching for.
Round 2 Pick 56: Jack Sawyer, Edge, Ohio State
Sawyer would fit in the Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt led locker-room like a glove. He is a tough, gritty edge rusher that goes 100% every down he plays. Sawyer could be a rotational guy in Whitt’s defenses and is a talented run stopper. Edge Rushers Dorance Armstrong and Dante Fowler have been good this year, but adding Sawyer into the mix could take that unit to the next level. His relentless motor and physical style of play align perfectly with the identity of Quinn’s defense, and his ability to set the edge against the run would provide immediate value on early downs. Although Sawyer falls short in the pass rushing department, he makes up for it in other facets. Sawyer is a high floor player who would instantly make the defense better.
Round 3 Pick 78: Harold Fannin Jr., TE, Bowling Green
With the expected departure of Ertz, Washington will have a hole at TE. Although they drafted Sinnot last year, he has been expectedly mediocre. Fannin would be a solid weapon for Daniels, and has tremendous upside. He could easily be one of the best receiving TEs in the league in a couple years.
Round 5 Pick 147: Nazir Stackhouse, DL, Georgia
After cutting former 2nd round pick Phadarian Mathis, Washington will need dome IDL depth for next year. Both Jon Allen and Daron Payne are aging, meaning that they are also becoming more injury prone. Enter Naz Stackhouse. Stackhouse weighs in at 320 lbs, and plays like it. He’s exceptionally strong, and displays top notch football IQ. He has some potential, and could develop into a long term rotational guy for Washington.
Round 6 Pick 199: Tai Felton, WR, Maryland
Felton hails from Ashburn VA, where the Commanders hold training camp each year. The Commanders have done a decent job developing late round receivers, and Felton could be another body in the receiver room.
Round 7 Pick 237: Gabe Taylor, S, Rice
Taylor is the brother of former Commanders safety, the late-great Sean Taylor. He declared for the draft earlier this year, and has hinted that he would be extremely grateful to be drafted by his brother’s former team.
Round 7 Pick 244: Ryan Fitzgerald, K, Florida State
The Commanders have had inconsistent kicker play all year, and would be drafting Fitzgerald to hopefully fill that hole.
