The 2024 NFL Draft marked a turning point for the Washington Commanders.
After 22 starting quarterbacks in 20 years, and one playoff win during that span, Washington struck gold with Jayden Daniels, their second-overall pick.
The Commanders also added solid pieces on Day 2, such as Brandon Coleman, who’s slated to start at right tackle this upcoming season following the Commanders’ trade for Pro Bowl left tackle Laremy Tunsil, and Mike Sainristil, who garnered Defensive Rookie of the Year votes.
These young additions helped Washington to its best season since 1991, though the team leaned heavily on veterans as well.
Washington’s roster entering the playoffs had an average age of just over 28, the highest of any team in the postseason. Adding Tunsil and Deebo Samuel in the offseason only made the team’s core older.
Daniels’ rapid rise to stardom has opened the Commanders’ championship window, but also started the countdown to the mega-contract the Offensive Rookie of the Year is due for in the coming years.
Washington is now in a slightly awkward position. The franchise is firmly in win-now mode and is signing older, proven players, but also needs to replenish its youth and build for the future through the draft.
Here are some of its options this year at pick 29.
Mike Green (EDGE, Marshall)
While Washington’s pass rush was fairly productive in the 2024 season, notching 43 sacks, the 12th-most in the league, much of the output unexpectedly came from Dante Fowler Jr.
Fowler, who recorded only his second double-digit sack season in his nine-year career, departed for Dallas in free agency, leaving the Commanders with mediocre options off the edge.
Mike Green could immediately be an impact starter for the lackluster unit.
The Marshall product wreaked havoc in the backfield and left no question about his ability to produce, with 22.5 tackles for loss and an FBS-leading 17 sacks.
Green is explosive, has an advanced array of pass-rush moves, and plays with a motor that fits nicely with a Dan Quinn-led team.
Washington may take issue with Green’s size — he was listed at 6-foot-3, 251 pounds at the NFL Combine — because of its struggles against the run last year. His below-average size and length, relative to defensive ends, may hinder him from setting the edge, but they haven’t stopped him from getting to the quarterback so far.
Shemar Stewart (EDGE, Texas A&M)
Shemar Stewart figures to be more of a project, albeit with higher upside, than Green.
At 6-foot-5, 267 pounds, Stewart has the size of a more traditional defensive end, rather than a 3-4 outside linebacker like Green, which should allow him to be more effective against the run.
Even beyond his size, the former Aggie is simply an athletic freak. Stewart ran a 4.59-second 40-yard dash (third among defensive ends at the combine), recorded a 40-inch vertical leap (second for defensive ends), and led all defensive end prospects in the broad jump.
Stewart has the tools to be at least a plus starter in the NFL, though his 4.5 sacks in three seasons at Texas A&M don’t match his physical gifts.
In evaluating Stewart, Washington would have to decide if it would take a chance on a raw prospect or prioritize a day-one contributor.
Maxwell Hairston (CB, Kentucky)
Kentucky’s Maxwell Hairston would ideally provide the Commanders’ secondary with two things it desperately needs: a staple outside cornerback and the ball skills to generate interceptions.
Washington had a bit of a revolving door at cornerback last season until its mid-season trade for Marshon Lattimore. Even then, the undersized Sainristil was starting on the perimeter down the stretch when he should’ve been a nickelback.
The Commanders also finished bottom five in the league with only seven interceptions.
Hairston is on the slender side, but ran a combine-leading 4.28-second 40-yard dash and is a natural fit at outside cornerback. A shoulder injury limited him to only seven games in 2024, but in 2023, Hairston led the SEC with five interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.
Nick Emmanwori (S, South Carolina)
This draft is deep at the edge, so Washington could have the luxury of taking the best player available. Nick Emmanwori would be a candidate if he slides to the late first round.
The Irmo, South Carolina, native is one of the more complete prospects in this class and could end up being the first safety taken off the board.
Emmanwori is 6-foot-3, 220 pounds and was graded as an “elite” athlete by NFL Next Gen Stats’ Athleticism Score, with sub-4.4 speed and top-two showings among safeties in all five drills he tested in.
On the field, Emmanwori did a little bit of everything for the Gamecocks, recording a team-leading 88 tackles and four interceptions. Emmanwori, with his physical traits and tackling ability, would bolster Washington’s run defense, possibly improve its turnover margin, and replace Jeremy Chinn to form a solid young safety duo with Quan Martin.
Matthew Golden (WR, Texas)
Washington could eschew defense altogether in the first round and look to add another playmaker for Daniels on the outside.
Matthew Golden’s game-breaking speed — he led all wideouts at the combine with a 4.29-second 40-yard dash — makes him a tantalizing prospect for a Commanders team looking for another home-run-hitting weapon.
Golden transferred from Houston to Texas for his junior season and saw his volume increase significantly. He was top 10 in the SEC in receptions and first in receiving touchdowns, but perhaps more importantly, gained experience in big games when the Longhorns advanced to the third round of the College Football Playoffs.
Occasional drops have hurt him, but Golden has proven he can handle a hefty target share and remain consistent. Though he’d have less opportunity in Washington behind Terry McLaurin and Samuel, Golden could make the most of it.
