The Washington Commanders are well-positioned in general manager Adam Peters’ first draft. Washington has nine picks in the 2024 NFL draft, including six in the top 100, beginning with No. 2 overall.
The Commanders will likely select a quarterback with their first pick, either Drake Maye (North Carolina ) or Jayden Daniels (LSU). From there, it’s about finding the best available players to add to a roster desperately in need of young talent.
Peters, as with most GMs, would always prefer to move back and add more picks. But with a desperate need at offensive tackle, could Peters use some of his day two picks to move back into round one?
ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller believes Washington is the team most likely to back into the first round for a non-quarterback.
We all believe they will take a quarterback with the No. 2 overall pick, but I also think they’re the team most likely to move up for a non-quarterback. The Commanders currently own pick Nos. 36 and 40 in the second round and are in the market for a left tackle after signing interior linemen Nick Allegretti and Tyler Biadasz in free agency. Per the Jimmy Johnson draft trade chart, packaging the two second-rounders would be good enough to get to pick No. 16 overall and grab a left tackle before the run on the position likely starts around pick No. 20 with the Pittsburgh Steelers on the clock. I think Penn State’s Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Washington’s Troy Fautanu and/or Oklahoma’s Tyler Guyton could be available in that range.
The Commanders are definitely in play to trade back into the first round. Not addressing offensive tackle in free agency was a clear indication that Peters loves the depth of this tackle class and he’ll make sure he comes away with one of the top OT prospects on his board.
Will he need to move up for one of those guys? Well, it depends on when the run begins. If Washington could move up and land Fashanu around No. 16, that’d be a steal. The Commanders would come away with a potential franchise quarterback and a left tackle prospect with a massive upside.
Regardless, the first two days of the draft will be exciting for Washington fans.