We head to Washington for our next destination in our mock draft series. The Washington Commanders hold the second overall pick this year and look to draft their quarterback of the future. After that, let’s see who else they will select.
Explanation Of Picks
With Caleb Williams off the board, it was always going to be between Jayden Daniels and Drake Maye at second overall. I roll with the former. A 94.7 PFF grade from the former LSU product stood out to me, but not surprising. After all, he threw 40 touchdowns and 3,811 yards. His mobility is his best skillset, and defenses must account for that whether it’s due to scrambling or RPO plays. Also, his arm talent helps him at all three levels of the field, and loves making big plays. The franchise quarterback has arrived.
In the second round, it was time to address the defense. I went with two cornerbacks in Tampa and Lassiter. Tampa, at 6’2″, has long arms that help him make plays on the ball easily. He ranked in the 98th percentile in terms of forced incompletion rate. Add in that he’s physical in coverage, and you got yourself an impact player for years to come (CB1 material, nonetheless).
As for Lassiter, he’s a smart player who is competitive and succeeds either in man or zone coverage. Though he isn’t the most athletic, he will use his instincts and great anticipation to make up for it. Lassiter is also good at funneling ball carriers in instead of giving them the sideline, showing his ability to be good at run defense. He’s a CB2 who can build a solid duo with Tampa for the future.
In round three, the Commanders have three picks here. The first was used on Trice, who graded out at 88+ for the second straight season. For the Huskies, he is simply a disruptor. Though he only had eight sacks last year, his 53 pressures/hurries rank him amongst the top of the college football world. Trice is powerful and won’t shy away from contact, and why would he considering he’s one of the bigger players at the position? He is a solid replacement after the team lost Chase Young and Montez Sweat this past year.
The second pick was used on a wideout. Wilson is intriguing simply because of his size (6’7″) and his massive catch radius. Though he needs to work more on his hands, he will be an impactful wideout in the future.
Finally, the team wraps up the round by selecting a future left tackle. Goncalves played left and right tackle during his time at Pittsburgh but tore his ACL last year. However, he will be fully recovered by the start of this upcoming season. His foot speed and competitiveness will help him win at the NFL level, and has fast hands too. In the end, the 6’6″ lineman is a solid prospect to keep an eye on.
Despite the Commanders having Zach Ertz at tight end, I wanted to still grab another one in the draft. Enter Theo Johnson, who brings his 6’6″ size to the position. His long arms will help him both in the receiving game and blocking. Though he isn’t the best at changing direction, his vertical route-running will be intriguing because of his long speed.
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