If you are looking for a throughline between the very best teams in the NFL, it’s going to be that the nucleus of those teams were built through the NFL draft. The Washington Commanders could be on that path.
After selecting a franchise quarterback at No. 2 overall with LSU’s Jayden Daniels along with a handful of players who could turn into long-term starters, including offensive tackle Brandon Coleman and cornerback Mike Sainristil, the Commanders seem destined to continue moving forward with more high-impact draft picks in 2025.
Bleacher Report’s latest 2025 mock draft has the Commanders adding a talented offensive weapon for Daniels in Ole Miss wide receiver Tre Harris at No. 25 overall.
From Bleacher Report: “Harris would provide the Commander’s offense with a true X-receiver with his height, weight and play strength. Daniels is one of the league’s best deep-ball throwers. He could elevate Harris’ ability to win vertically with 50-50 balls, back-shoulder fades, etc. Harris and (Terry) McLaurin would immediately become one of the NFC’s most talented pass-catching duos.”
Harris Has Size, Talent to Be Elite NFL Wide Receiver
Harris, 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds, was just a 2-star recruit out of Ovey Comeaux High in Lafayette, Louisiana, and spent the first 3 seasons of his college football career at Louisiana Tech, where he was an All-Conference USA selection in 2022 with 65 receptions for 935 yards and 10 touchdowns in 12 games.
Harris transferred to Ole Miss in 2023, where he set a school record with 4 receiving touchdowns in the season opener against Mercer and finished with 54 receptions for 985 yards and 8 touchdowns in 12 games.
In 2024, Harris was having a breakout season through the first 7 games with 59 receptions for 987 yards and 6 touchdowns but hasn’t played since a 29-26 overtime loss to No. 13 LSU on October 12 after suffering an undisclosed lower body injury.
“The fact Harris still leads the team in catches and receiving yards and is second for Lane Kiffin’s team in receiving touchdowns even with missing the past two games perfectly illustrates just how important he is to the offense,” ClutchPoint.com’s Crissy Froyd wrote on November 6. “In addition to that, he’s remarkably still held strong in the national rankings as well at fourth in the NCAA in total receiving yards.”
Commanders Don’t Have Great WR2 Option
Terry McLaurin has been the Commanders’ WR1 option for the better part of the last decade and leads the team with 42 receptions for 598 yards and 6 touchdowns through 9 games in 2024.
One thing that hasn’t changed from the Commanders’ recent past is that they don’t have a great receiving threat beyond McLaurin. That’s not for lack of trying.
The Commanders selected wide receiver Jahan Dotson in the first round (No. 16 overall) of the 2022 NFL draft but cut bait and traded him to the Philadelphia Eagles before the 2024 season in what now seems like a deft move.
Through 7 games in 2024 with the Eagles, Dotson has 7 receptions for 71 yards and no touchdowns. The Commanders packaged Dotson and a 2025 fifth round pick in exchange for a 2025 third round pick and a pair of 2025 seventh round picks.
Outside of McLaurin, the Commanders’ leading receiver is veteran tight end Zach Ertz (33 receptions, 355 yards, 1 touchdown) but no player outside of McLaurin has more than 1 touchdown reception.
From Bleacher Report: “At LSU, Daniels had the pleasure of throwing to Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr., a pair of future first-round wide receivers. In Washington, Terry McLaurin is quietly among the league’s best, but the Commanders lack a legitimate secondary threat.”
