The Washington Commanders own the No. 29 pick overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. After witnessing a breakout season from quarterback Jayden Daniels, the front office hopes to continue building a roster to make a deeper playoff run next season.
It's not entirely clear what Washington is going to do in the first round. However, in ESPN's latest first-round mock draft, insider John Keim reveals what the Commanders would “love” to happen throughout the draft.
Keim claims the franchise would prefer to prioritize the offensive line, edge rusher, and running back. Ultimately, he has the team skipping all of those positions in the first round for Kentucky cornerback Maxwell Hairston.
“Washington would love to build a strong offensive line and find an edge rusher and running back but can address those needs later in the draft,” Keim wrote. “With Hairston, the Commanders get another young corner who can play outside with ball skills (six interceptions in two years), short-area quickness and competitiveness. He provides them with a player who can help in sub packages and become a starter at some point.”
The Commanders already made a key addition to the offensive line earlier in the offseason after trading with the Houston Texans for left tackle Laremy Tunsil. It was a move that gives Daniels a premiere protector in Tunsil, who will be 31 years old by the time the 2025-26 season begins.
As for the other two positions Keim mentions, edge rusher and running back, it's widely viewed that the 2025 class runs deep in both areas. That's likely why the NFL insider claims he'd like to see the Commanders swing big for a cornerback in round one then follow that up with some smart picks in rounds two and three to address the edge and running back positions.
The Commanders should be one to watch next season after the team finished with a 12-5 regular season record. Washington surprised many by making an appearance in the NFC Championship Game but ultimately lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 55-23.
