The Washington Commanders were one of the surprise packets of the 2024 season, with no one predicting a 12-5 record and an NFC Championship appearance.
New head coach Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels took the league by storm, and the franchise doubled down on its success in 2024 by being aggressive in free agency.
Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel were traded to strengthen two key positions for Daniels, but it is the defense where most of the "issues" are.
Despite that, Pro Football Focus ranked all 32 teams prior to the NFL Draft, and the Commanders came in at No. 6 as the third-best team in the NFC.
"The Commanders didn’t sit back after their shocking success from 2024, swinging two major trades for Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel," Pro Football Focus writes. Washington won’t sneak up on anybody this season, and as long as Jayden Daniels (90.6 PFF overall grade) remains among the game’s elite quarterbacks, this team will be dangerous."
The offense with Daniels is set, especially after the Samuel and Tunsil additions, but defensively, after losing Dante Fowler Jr. who led the team in sacks last year (10.5), another edge rusher is needed, so too some corner help.
Exactly where the franchise goes to get that help is unknown, but Mike Green, Jahdae Barron, and Shemar Stewart loom as options in the first round.
Washington knows the chance it has ahead of it in 2025, and with Daniels on his rookie contract, the time to strike is now. The Commanders did it in free agency, can they round out their roster with some solid draft picks?
Do that, and this team will look even more dangerous than it did a year ago.
