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The Washington Commanders have five picks in the upcoming 2025 NFL draft, which begins Thursday in Green Bay, Wisconsin. General manager Adam Peters has already made some offseason moves that address areas of need, and will use the draft to answer more of those questions. ESPN’s Jordan Reid recently released a full seven-round mock draft, and he leaned into the defense with his picks.
For the Commanders’ 29th pick, Reid suggests Boston College edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku.
The Commanders had a busy offseason on offense, acquiring Deebo Samuel Sr. and Laremy Tunsil. But they didn’t make any splashy defensive signings, so edge rusher is a major need. Ezeiruaku is among the most consistent pass rushers in this class, and many scouts believe he could be drafted higher than this. He had a breakout 2024 season with an FBS-high 65 total QB pressures, as well as 16.5 sacks (second most in the FBS). He saved his best performance for his final college game, finishing with 3.5 sacks and 17 pressures against Pittsburgh — the most pressures by an FBS player in one game over the past five seasons. His first step and hand quickness keep blockers guessing.
One of the Commanders’ biggest needs this offseason was a true edge rusher. Whether Ezeiruaku falls to 29 remains to be seen, but even if it’s not him, it’s likely the Commanders will select an edge rusher in this spot.
In the second round, Reid sticks with defense and adds depth to the secondary by having Washington select Iowa State cornerback Darien Porter.
Dan Quinn likes length in his outside corners, and the 6-foot-3, 195-pound Porter has 33⅛-inch arms. The converted receiver would allow last year’s second-round corner, Mike Sainristil, to move to his more natural position of nickel.
One thing the Commanders learned in 2024 is that they can absolutely move Mike Sainristil around the secondary. Adding a true cornerback gives them the ability to move Sainristil around and give opposing offenses different looks than they’ve seen in the past.
For the remaining rounds, Reid did not offer an explanation for his choices, only the selections for each team. The Commanders’ final three picks are as follows:
- 128. Washington Commanders (via HOU): Bhayshul Tuten, RB, Virginia Tech
- 205. Washington Commanders: Arian Smith, WR, Georgia
- 245. Washington Commanders: Robert McDaniel, S, Jackson State
So, Reid predicts the Commanders will select an edge rusher, a corner, a safety, a running back, and a wide receiver in this year’s draft.
One thing no one has predicted, though, is the possibility that the Commanders trade down. Trading down would give them additional draft capital to add more players and increase the roster’s depth. It’s not very likely that this will happen, which is why it hasn’t appeared in many mocks; however, it’s still a distinct possibility if the players Peters wants to draft aren’t available at 29.
Whatever the Commanders are going to do, we’ll all find out together in just a couple of days when the 2025 NFL draft finally kicks off.
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