Trading for marquee veterans Deebo Samuel Sr. and Laremy Tunsil solved two major problems for the Washington Commanders. Namely, the need for an accomplished left tackle to protect Jayden Daniels' blindside, while also giving the gifted young signal-caller another blue-chip wide receiver next to Terry McLaurin.
Those deals will keep the Commanders competitive in the NFC, but they haven't solved every issue. There's still the not-so small matter of adding talent at edge-rusher, running back and cornerback.
Fortunately, general manager Adam Peters will enter his second draft in charge armed with three picks in the first 128 selections. Granted, the last of those choices — a fourth-rounder swiped from the Houston Texans as part of the deal for Tunsil — is a stretch to be called an early pick, but needs must.
Making maximum use of his top three selections would put an exclamation point on a highly aggressive and equally successful offseason for Peters and the Commanders. It can happen if the general manager assigns his premium draft capital to some of the following prospects at three key positions.
Positions the Commanders must address early in the 2025 NFL Draft
Land a game-wrecking edge-rusher
Perhaps Adam Peters can solve this problem with another trade. Maybe even for a proven All-Pro quarterback hunter like Trey Hendrickson, preferably if he forces the issue with the Cincinnati Bengals.
Even if Hendrickson were to arrive at Northwest Stadium, the Commanders would still have room for another prolific pass-rusher for two clear reasons. You can never have too many dynamic athletes whose primary responsibility is to hound and harm those who play football's most important position.
Another reason concerns how the Commanders got after quarterbacks in 2024. It's not as if Washington's defense was ineffective in this area, logging a respectable 43 sacks, but how those were collected hinted at deeper trouble.
The Commanders blitzed 31.5 percent of the time last season. It was the fifth-highest blitz percentage in the league.
A defense blitzes at this high a rate because it lacks the forces up front to consistently wreck pass protection. Putting more of those at the disposal of head coach Dan Quinn and defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. should be Peters' priority during the draft.
He won't be lacking for options. Not when Tennessee's James Pearce Jr. and Texas A&M duo Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton could be available when the Commanders make their first pick at No. 29 overall.
Coming out of this draft with a focal point for a new-look pass rush, wherever they take one, would be a 10 out of 10 move for the Commanders. Drafting help further back from the front seven would too.
Commanders need some insurance at cornerback
Marshon Lattimore's back, but he hardly played at an All-Pro level after his midseason trade in 2024. Instead, he put enough lowlights on the field to warrant a damning report card.
Adam Peters is still a believer, but backing Lattimore to rediscover some of the old magic is a risk. Especially when he's 28 years old and has dealt with his fair share of injuries, notably recurring hamstring problems.
Lingering uncertainty about Lattimore means there's room for a quality young cornerback on the depth chart. That's still true even after the Washington Commanders' 2024 second-round pick Mike Sainristil played like a first-rounder last season.
Sainristil performed well enough to make a spot on the perimeter his own, despite initially being ticketed as a lock to play in the slot. Peters took care of the latter problem by adding long-time New England Patriots slot cornerback Jonathan Jones in free agency, but there still isn't a true shutdown cover man in the rotation.
Like edge-rusher, this rookie class isn't short of viable candidates. One of the best is East Carolina's Shavon Revel, but there's an asterisk or two.
The main underlying worry concerns Revel tearing his ACL early in his final season with the Pirates. There's also a lack of bulk for a player who tips the scales at 194 pounds.
Two doubts like these should leave Revel without his name called before the second round. That would suit the Commanders, owners of the No. 61 pick.
Revel has shown off lockdown skills when fully healthy. Those skills were quantified by Josh Liskiewitz of Pro Football Focus:
Opposing quarterbacks tested Revel's coverage 43 times in 2023 but completed just 19 of them for 250 yards and one score. He picked off just one pass but dropped four other potential picks and broke up 11 passes for an impressive forced incompletion percentage of 25.6%.Josh Liskiewitz
Taking a flyer of sorts on the player getting back to 100 percent and dominating would give the Commanders options. He could be brought along slowly at first, while Lattimore, Sainristil, and Jones occupy the three main spots. Each would know Revel's ready to take their place should any levels dip.
If Peters wants to go cornerback a round earlier, he could look to Texas standout Jahdae Brown. He's a handsy defensive back who plays bigger than his size and has a talent for jamming in zone schemes.
Brown would step in right away if Lattimore faltered. Or else he'd let Sainristil shift back inside and leave veterans Jones and returning Noah Igbinoghene to provide dependable depth.
Quality reserves aren't something the Commanders need in the offensive backfield. This is where Peters must shop for a Day 1 game-changer.
Commanders must find an upgrade at running back
Austin Ekeler's still around to continue his skilled all-rounder act. He'll be ably supported by returning journeyman Jeremy McNichols, who was a pleasant surprise last season.
So far, so good. But what's missing from the Washington Commanders' picture at running back?
Simple. A marquee workhorse able to beat defenses on the ground and through the air. A running back sure to give defensive coordinators sleepless nights.
Try as he might, Brian Robinson Jr. isn't one of those. He's a solid grinder with above-average versatility, but there's nothing elite about his game.
Pairing an elite running back with Jayden Daniels' dual-threat skill set puts every defense the Commanders face into a bind. Opponents would be playing an unenviable guessing game about who to focus on, and who to game-plan for on every play.
The possibilities from this combination are endless and also worth first-round market value. Those who would wince at the idea of using a first-round pick on a running back should consider the 2024 season as a teaching tool.
Saquon Barkley's 2,000-yard super show won the Philadelphia Eagles a championship. Derrick Henry was the missing ingredient Lamar Jackson needed to make the Baltimore Ravens the most explosive offense in football.
Running backs are in vogue again. It's not a dying position, but the value depends on the level of talent.
Finding a Barkley or Henry isn't easy, but this draft haul offers rich pickings. Somebody like North Carolina's Omarion Hampton fits the bill as a durable bruiser with more overwhelming power and after-contact potential than Robinson.
The same is true of Quinshon Judkins. His battering-ram running style gave Ohio State a genuine smash-mouth edge en route to the national title.
Hampton and Judkins can bludgeon defenses and be the brute-force complement to Daniels' breakaway speed. That's a potent mix, but the sudden acceleration and big-play flair of TreVeyon Henderson is hard to ignore.
Those still tethered to more conventional draft practices could count on the Commanders finding value in Round 4. Productive backs like Devin Neal, who topped 1,000 rushing yards three times for the Kansas Jayhawks, along with Georgia's Trevor Etienne, ought to be available in the 100s.
Etienne would be a value pick as a sort of deluxe Ekeler. A running back with wide receiver-type skills and a true one-cut-and-go runner who fits what the Commanders have been doing with their rushing attack.
Running back is a sneaky pressing need this offseason. Using the draft to fix the problem would grant Peters the freedom to trade Robinson, or else field a deeper more flexible rushing committee.
