Commanders can surprise a lot of people by making a move in the first round of the draft that no one is talking about

We are just barely more than three weeks away from the NFL Draft and the Washington Commanders' path for that weekend is a lot more clear than it was at season's end.The franchise's moves in free agency really helped with the big picture, as decisions like the Deebo Samuel/Laremy Tunsil trades and Javon Kinlaw/Will Harris/Jonathan […]

Evan Winter — NFL Managing Editor

Apr 2, 2025 3:20 PM EDT

We are just barely more than three weeks away from the NFL Draft and the Washington Commanders' path for that weekend is a lot more clear than it was at season's end.

The franchise's moves in free agency really helped with the big picture, as decisions like the Deebo Samuel/Laremy Tunsil trades and Javon Kinlaw/Will Harris/Jonathan Jones signings (along with others) filled key roles that were in need.

At this point, it's fair to say the Commanders' top two needs are edge rusher and cornerback. On a more granular level, WR3 and safety also make sense.

But there's a position sandwiched in-between those two tiers that I haven't seen anyone talk about and honestly, it's an important topic to dive into when you step back and look at the big picture.

And that's the idea of the Commanders taking a guard at No. 29 in the first round of the draft. Especially if there aren’t any viable options at edge or corner.

Sam Cosmi's ACL injury and Nick Allegretti's limited ceiling place the Commanders' situation at guard in an interesting spot

Here's why drafting a guard makes sense: The average recovery time for an NFL player is 9-12 months. Cosmi had surgery on January 28, which puts him at an October 28 return at minimum. Give or take a few days, of course.

At worst, he could miss the entire 2025 season.

A first round pick could easily fill in while he's out and it also wouldn't put any pressure on the return timeline. Trust me, that's huge. Simply because an ACL recovery can easily go sideways even though the recovery process is correct. You don't have to look further than the very unfortunate story of David Bakhtiari, a five-time All-Pro left tackle that has had multiple and serious complications after he had ACL surgery in 2021. The situation nearly cost him the last four seasons of his career and only he knows what his future holds.

Since the injury and its follow-up consequences and complications, Bakhtiari has played only 13 NFL games—11 of them in 2022. He played only half a game in 2021, the last regular season one against the Detroit Lions, and just one game in 2023—Week 1, against the Chicago Bears, which is his most recent action.

When he was ruled out for the 2023 season, Bakhtiari said doctors only extracted about 10-15% of his lateral meniscus during the initial surgery to repair his ACL, but discomfort and fluid buildup remained a problem. The ACL has been fine for quite some time, however the knee was not the same anymore…

… Originally, doctors knew Bakhtiari had a femoral condyles issue. Nobody thought it would create so many problems down the line. When it did, a new surgery was needed two years ago… The fact is that David Bakhtiari hasn't played football for 18 months now. And he hasn't felt like himself for more than four years. At 33, he could still return to the field, but it's getting less and less likely that the former All-Pro would come close to what he was in his prime. – Wendell Ferreira, A to Z Green Bay

Once Cosmi returns to the fold, the focus can then shift to the left guard position where the veteran Allegretti resides.

I'm not saying the Commanders automatically bench Allegretti – not in the slightest. The idea is this first-round pick would then challenge Allegretti for the starting left job in 2026. Switching from right guard to left guard is nothing like it is switching tackle positions, so that's a potential obstacle that's out of the way.

Next up is Allegretti's ceiling. He's proven to be a capable starter in the NFL, but that's about it. With Jayden Daniels behind center, the Commanders need to be the best they can be along the front five with absolutely zero exceptions. Allegretti will certainly benefit from the addition of Tunsil, but it's still a better process to have a guy that can provide a high level of play on his own and not because of his environment.

The financials work, as well. The Commanders can $3.644 million in cap room by trading or releasing him or they can keep him as valuable depth for a not-too-shabby price tag of $6 million in 2026, which is also the last year of his deal.

I mean, we literally just saw this situation play out with Andrew Wylie. The Tunsil trade moved Brandon Coleman, a second-year player, over to right tackle. Wylie then proceeded to agree to a restructured deal that removed a year from his contract and also included a $3.75 million pay cut. Now, he's going to compete with Coleman for the starting right tackle job in 2025.

Taking a guard at 29 would be a surprise, but only because people wouldn't really expect it. The logic is there, however, and it could certainly play out this way come the evening of April 24.