Commanders have set themselves up for trouble during the draft that can come back to bite them in 2025
The Washington Commanders came into the draft needing a guy who could reliably replace Dante Fowler Jr. in terms of both role and production. Or at least get close enough to where the pass rush productivity doesn't take a sizable dip in 2025.Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. need an athletic, quick stand-up pass rusher […]
The Washington Commanders came into the draft needing a guy who could reliably replace Dante Fowler Jr. in terms of both role and production. Or at least get close enough to where the pass rush productivity doesn't take a sizable dip in 2025.
Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. need an athletic, quick stand-up pass rusher that can be moved around the defense and even play with his hand in the dirt at times. It's the kind of chess piece that helps elevate Quinn's and Whitt Jr.'s pass rush strategy and they won't be able to effectively deploy as many varied looks without it.
After Round 4, the Commanders have yet to address the situation. So far, the picks have been offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. in Round 1, cornerback Trey Amos in Round 2, and wide receiver Jaylin Lane in Round 4. Of course, Adam Peters and Co. don't pick again until No. 205 in the sixth round, so it's clear they aren't landing a player who can immediately fill this role unless there's an unexpected development.
It makes sense to build around Jayden Daniels as much as possible and that's what the Commanders are doing with Conerly Jr. and Lane. At the same time, in regards to Conerly Jr., it's fair to argue the Commanders didn't need him. Laremy Tunsil is now on the roster and Brandon Coleman was set to compete with Andrew Wylie for the starting right tackle job. There is the right guard situation with Sam Cosmi currently recovering from an ACL injury, but Trent Scott played OK last year and the team also added Nate Herbig in the offseason. Cosmi's absence shouldn't last longer than the first half of the year, either, at worst.
A guy like Donovan Ezeiruaku would've made a ton of sense at No. 29 overall, even if he lasted all the way to 44. He's a polished, NFL-ready pass rusher that would've immediately filled the Fowler Jr. role in an effective manner. Not only that, but his character is off the charts – scouts say he's a culture-setter in the locker room. We all know how much Peters and Quinn value character in players, so he fits the bill there, too.
The Commanders added guys like Deatrich Wise Jr., Javon Kinlaw, and Jacob Martin in the offseason and they brought back Clelin Ferrell, but none of them can do what Fowler Jr. did, nor what some of the guys taken in the first couple of rounds can do.
It helps that the Commanders defense isn't a static one. Meaning, guys line up all over the place and the pressure comes from different areas on a consistent basis. So, Quinn and Whitt Jr. can scheme things up to help offset the lack of a true EDGE1.
But at the same time, when they need that third/fourth down sack to close out the game and that guy who has to be accounted for on every single snap isn't there to get it done, odds are they're going to really wish he was. Especially if the final result isn't in their favor.
