You know it’s NFL draft time when NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah holds his annual pre-draft conference call, during which he answers questions from the media.
The Washington Commanders were a popular topic on Jeremiah’s call. Why? Because Washington is essentially starting over with a new owner (Josh Harris), general manager (Adam Peters) and head coach (Dan Quinn). After a solid free agency where the Commanders signed over 20 players to bolster a 4-13 roster, Jeremiah feels they are poised to make a splash in next week’s draft.
Washington’s first pick is at No. 2 overall, where it’s likely to choose between a pair of quarterbacks: Jayden Daniels (LSU) or Drake Maye (North Carolina).
The Commanders are next on the clock at No. 36, the first of their two second-round selections. This is where things get interesting, according to Jeremiah.
“I think they’re a prime candidate to come back up and try and scoop up one of these tackles,” Jeremiah said. “If you’ve got Amarius Mims (Georgia), who’s floating around there in the teens, they have plenty of ammunition to be aggressive and go get a starting offensive tackle. That, to me, is something I would keep an eye on. I don’t see them standing pat and sticking there at 36 and 40. I think you’ll see them try and make a move and address the offensive line.”
We’ve discussed this throughout the offseason. When the Commanders didn’t address offensive tackle in free agency other than re-signing veteran Cornelius Lucas to serve as the swing tackle, it was clear they would target the position in an offensive tackle-rich draft. However, a run on the best tackles could begin in the teens, meaning if Washington wants to land one of the top options, it will need to move up.
The good news is that the Commanders hold six picks in the top 100, giving them plenty of ammunition for a move up the board.
While it’s mostly been speculation, Jeremiah almost said he expects the Commanders to make a move up the board. This is a good year for Washington to need an offensive tackle and have the draft capital to move up the board.