Washington general manager Adam Peters definitely has a type. Throughout the pre-draft process, the Commanders brought in several prospects for visits who possessed some form of high-level athletic traits.
Whether it was 40 times, short-area quickness, long arms, etc., Washington liked what it saw on tape and wanted some face time with those players.
Now that the 2024 NFL draft is over, we look back at the Commanders’ nine selections and see a trend: Washington focused on players with at least one high-level trait. It began with the second overall pick, quarterback Jayden Daniels.
According to Next Gen Stats, the “Commanders targeted elite athletes throughout the draft, securing a league-high six players with an NGS athleticism score of 80 or higher.”
The @Commanders new regime targeted elite athletes throughout the draft, securing a league-high six players with an NGS athleticism score of 80 or higher.
Washington's first seven picks had an average athleticism score of 83, 2nd-highest by any team in the NFL Draft.#NFLDraft… pic.twitter.com/VmrRkj9YtR
— Next Gen Stats (@NextGenStats) April 28, 2024
Even Washington’s final two picks were elite athletes. Safety Domonique Hampton is 6-foot-2, 215 pounds and posted the second-highest athletic score for safeties at the NFL combine. He ran the 40 in 4.51 seconds and posted a 39″ vertical leap.
Washington’s seventh-round pick, edge Javontae Jean-Baptiste, ran the 40 in 4.66 seconds at 6-foot-5, 239 pounds.
None of this means the Commanders or these players will all succeed, but it’s clear that Peters and head coach Dan Quinn have a plan. That’s new for Washington.