Grading the Commanders, Eagles trade: Washington robs Philly and lands a major playmaker
The Washington Commanders had five picks coming into Day 2 of the NFL Draft, but that apparently wasn't enough, as Adam Peters found an unlikely trade partner in the arch rival Philadelphia Eagles.The Commanders traded picks Nos. 40 and 78 to the Eagles in return for Nos. 50, 53, and 161. Per Rich Hill's draft […]
The Washington Commanders had five picks coming into Day 2 of the NFL Draft, but that apparently wasn't enough, as Adam Peters found an unlikely trade partner in the arch rival Philadelphia Eagles.
The Commanders traded picks Nos. 40 and 78 to the Eagles in return for Nos. 50, 53, and 161. Per Rich Hill's draft trade value chart, Washington nets +23 points in the trade, which is the equivalent of the 124th pick, typically a fourth-rounder.
But the real value comes in having such close picks in the second round at 50 and 53. It's akin to what the Commanders initial second-round gap was at 36 and 40 – it's just moved back a bit and Peters still got a pick in at 36.
Still, it doesn't matter if the Commanders don't do the right things with those picks. However, that certainly wasn't the case on Friday evening.
For starters, the Commanders traded back and still landed the draft's biggest sleeper in former Michigan DB Mike Sainristil. He'll play nickel for the Commanders, which will allow Quan Martin to move to centerfield on a more consistent basis. But it's not just sewing that up that makes this selection such a home run.
On top of elite playmaking ability, Sainristil will help set the culture that Dan Quinn is clearly trying to establish during his first year in Washington. Better yet, the All-American isn't on a one-year deal like Bobby Wagner and Dante Fowler Jr. – he's around for the long haul in order to make sure the culture lasts.
The Ben Sinnott pick was a very good pick, too, even if it may have been a bit early. Still, an H-back in this offense is a valuable weapon to have and Kliff Kingsbury will know exactly how to use him.
Overall, this trade was extremely shrewd by Adam Peters. Sure, the offense still needs a tackle, but I don't think -and obviously the Commanders feel the same way- that any of the remaining tackles are worth a top-53 pick. There's a good chance both Kingsley Suamataia and Kiran Amegadjie are there at No. 67 in round 3, especially the latter, who had a top-30 visit.
It's extremely rare to receive A+ draft grades, but Peters knocked this out of the park and the Commanders should see immediate dividends, as a result.
Final Grade: A+
