The Washington Commanders were very busy during the first wave of free agency and as a result, the plans for the upcoming 2025 NFL Draft are a lot clearer.
As it currently stands, the following picks are where the Commanders are set to pick in the draft:
- Round 1, No. 29 overall
- Round 2, No. 61 overall
- Round 4, No. 128 overall
- Round 6, No. 205 overall
- Round 7, No. 245 overall
You can keep up with all the team's moves, here. Without further delay, let's go ahead and dive into the first Commanders mock draft after the initial wave of free agency.
Round 1, No. 29 overall: DE Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College Golden Eagles
I can easily see the Commanders trading out of this pick and back into the early second round, but this isn't really a draft where trading up after pick No. 20 is very beneficial. Meaning, it's hard to zero in on why a team would trade up to No. 29, so we'll just leave that be, for now.
I'm going to go ahead and take advantage of the current likelihood of Ezeiruaku being here at No. 29, because said likelihood is probably going to get smaller and smaller as we approach the draft. Ezeiruaku's stock is skyrocketing after the Combine, but he's still expected to go in the back of the first round/early second round as you can see below:
Regardless, the Commanders have done a solid of job of filling holes and adding depth through the first wave of free agency, but they lost their "wild card" pass rusher in Dante Fowler Jr. to the Dallas Cowboys. Fowler could line up across the formation, with his hand in the dirt or in a two-point stance, and rush from anywhere. He was a true chess piece for the defensive front and provided an athletic/explosive element the other edge rushers couldn't provide.
Well, Ezeiruaku can step in and help offset the loss. He's a very talented pass rusher that has a variety of moves, a great motor, and the production to match his skillset. He led the country with 16.5 sacks in 2024 and added 21 tackles for loss on top of that. He's a bit undersized at 6-foot-2, 248-pounds, but that can be corrected with a couple of years in the weight room.
Alternate picks: Iowa State CB Darien Porter, Texas A&M EDGE Nic Scourton
Round 2, No. 61 overall: S Andrew Mukuba, Texas Longhorns
Mukuba is a true centerfielder that can play in either single- or two-high coverages. Dan Quinn loves to deploy multiple safeties at a time and Mukuba would allow him to that while limiting the risk of big plays on the back end.
He could easily fit in with Quan Martin in a two-high look while Will Harris moves into the box. He also can man centerfield in single-high looks while Harris or Martin matches up on bigger receiving targets.
He's also a very good open-field tackler and he showed that he can produce in terms of forcing takeaways, with five interceptions in 2024. He's an interesting player that can allow Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. to expand their defensive looks/scheme.
Round 4, No. 128 overall: DL Jared Ivey, Ole Miss Rebels
The Commanders made some early free agency moves to stock the trenches, but only one was a multi-year move and that was the Javon Kinlaw deal. The other three guys are all on one-year deals and are either on the back end of their careers or have low ceilings.
In other words: The Commanders need another long-term plan on the defensive line next to Kinlaw, Dorance Armstrong, Daron Payne, and Johnny Newton.
Ivey can provide just that. At 6-foot-6, 283-pounds and with 33-3/4" arms, he has the size and length to not only play with his hand in the dirt on the outside, but he can kick inside and become a viable mismatch for guards on obvious passing downs.
Ivey has no problem setting the edge against the run, which is the first priority when it comes to fixing the Commanders defense, but his pass rush skills could use some work. That's why working in via a rotation this year and the hopefully developing in the next couple years makes Ivey a good bet at this spot.
Round 6, No. 205 overall: CB Zah Frazier, University of Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners
Man, if there's ever a developmental prospect to take a flier on in the final 52 picks of the draft - Frazier is certainly one of them.
The Commanders' plan at cornerback is a bit unclear: After the signing of Jonathan Jones and re-signing of Noah Igbinoghene, does that mean Mike Sainristil will stay outside or does Jones move outside? Does Jones even play safety or is he just an all-around component? The only guy who's role we officially know of is Marshon Lattimore, who'll man the No. 1 outside cornerback spot.
Regardless, this is a 6'3", 189-pound corner with 33-1/8" arms and 4.36 speed who picked off six passes in 2024. His resume goes beyond just measurables and production, as well. He's a physical player who's willing to come up and play the run and take on guys much bigger than him despite his lean frame. He's also a big-time special teams contributor.
Sure, he'll get overmatched at times, but he's never scared of an assignment. Plus, if we saw Sainristill play well on the outside at 5-foot-10, 183-pounds, it's easy to see why Frazier could make it work, too.
At the same time, we aren't talking about a starter, here. We're talking about a developmental guy who thrives in zone coverage, so he can rotate in as needed when the Commanders run their zone coverages and provide special teams snaps while developing under Quinn and Whitt Jr. Frazier could easily become one of the draft's hidden gems when it's all said and done.
Round 7, No. 245 overall: DE Steve Linton, Baylor Bears
At this point, it's about finding the most talented ball of clay that you can hopefully mold. For the Commanders, it's Linton, who has so much upside in terms of traits, but has not lived up anywhere close to the standards they could set.
He's long and has elite explosiveness off the ball. He can get around blockers and make tough tackles, but he can't finish in the grand scheme of things. He's not strong enough to hold his own in a 1-on-1 situation vs. opposing blockers.
He not only needs time in the weight room, but time to corral his abilities and slow things down. He's very raw and his floor is very low, but he's ceiling is high enough to where he easily warrants a flier in the final seven picks of the draft.
