The 2023 NFL draft is over. That means no more mock drafts. That means no more mocking a cornerback or offensive lineman to the Washington Commanders.
But as it turns out, those mock drafts were accurate, as the Commanders did focus on those two positions, leading them to take Mississippi State cornerback Emmanuel Forbes at No. 16 overall. Washington selected Forbes with Christian Gonzalez still on the board.
Throughout the pre-draft process, Washington focused on offensive linemen and cornerbacks. The NFL combine, Senior Bowl, and the top 30 visits featured a heavy dose of those position groups. In fact, Washington’s first four selections were all among the top 30 visitors.
And, according to head coach Ron Rivera, that was by design.
“I think the priority kind of showed itself a little bit where you saw we went with the two defensive backs and then the two offensive linemen,” Rivera said Saturday. “Pretty much just kind of sticking to that. That was one of the things that we wanted to continue with in terms of the depth.”
On cornerback:
“At cornerback I think we filled a need that we were looking for a playmaker, and I think Emmanuel does that for us,” he said. “With Quan [Jartavius Martin], we got a guy that has the ability to come in and play buffalo nickel as well as free safety and, again, adds more depth.”
On the offensive line:
“On the offensive line, getting Ricky Stromberg and then following that up today with, with Braeden [Daniels], that was good for us,” he said. “Again, we continue to add some more depth and guys that have played a lot of football, and hopefully, that’ll transition into them being the kind of pros that we hope for.”
Since the offseason began, the Commanders have added three new cornerbacks and five new offensive linemen. Rivera and GM Martin Mayhew on counting on those units being much improved in 2023. If that happens, the Commanders are quite possibly a playoff team.