Hogs Haven
It’s been a while since we’ve done a mock draft roundup, but the season’s over and playoffs start tomorrow, so let’s dive into it again. The Washington Commanders’ season has thankfully ended, and they finished with a 5-12 record, and the No. 7 overall pick in this year’s draft. Head coach Dan Quinn has already made several changes to the coaching staff, with OC Kliff Kingsbury moving on, and DC Joe Whitt Jr and OL coach Bobby Johnson fired.
This roundup has 43 mock drafts and 21 of them feature EDGE rushers. Miami’s Rueben Bain is still the most popular selection for the Commanders with 11 mocks giving him to Washington. Texas’s David Bailey is also a popular choice, with 9 mocks sending him to D.C. Auburn’s Kevin Faulk rounds out the group with his name called once for Washington this week.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr and Field Yates did a mock together, and Kiper selected Texas Tech’s David Bailey for the Washington Commanders at No. 7. He has Bailey as the No. 6 overall player in the draft, and said he would be a great fit for Washington with QBs like Dak Prescott, Jalen Hurts, and Jaxson Dart in the division. Lack of pressure due to injuries and lack of top talent severely limited Washington’s defense last season, and Adam Peters stated the team needed to add more pass rushers in his post-season presser on Monday.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs is gaining in popularity for a Top-10 pick, and he continues to get heavily linked to the Commanders. He’s picked for Washington 11 times in this week’s roundup, and the fit is hard to ignore. People will argue the positional value isn’t there for a safety this high, but Washington’s defense continues to have a need at the position. Downs is a smart player who would elevate a defense that needs a new direction.
We’ve got two more players on defense at two different positions that Washington will be looking to upgrade this offseason. Ohio State LB Arvell Reese is expected to be a Top-5 pick, but continues to “fall” in some mock drafts that want to send him to Washington. That happens six times this week, and will continue to be a popular option with people looking to add youth to the Commanders LB group.
Cornerback was going to be a need before Marshon Lattimore was arrested on gun charges, but that just brought the need at the position back into the headlines. Lattimore tore his ACL in early November, and the Commanders are expected to move on from him, and his $18.5 million cap hit. The only CB in this roundup is Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy who is recovering from his own ACL injury(January 2025).
Wide receiver and running back round out the roundup, with one of the picks coming from the only trade down of the week. Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love continues to get the nod from Walter Football, but the odds remain low for the...
