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Commanders 7 Round 2024 Nfl Mock Draft Pre Combine Edition

Bonisiwe Shabane
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commanders 7 round 2024 nfl mock draft pre combine edition

Adam Peters and Dan Quinn will be running the rule over college hopefuls during the annual NFL Scouting Combine. The Washington Commanders have plenty of high-end capital to utilize as part of their grand plans for progression. Much will depend on how they spend the league's most available salary-cap space in free agency, but building through the draft is also high on their list of targets. The Commanders have plenty of holes to fill and a lot of hard work ahead. Washington was among the league's worst teams last season. Most went through the motions under a lame-duck head coach whose fate was sealed long before the campaign concluded.

Despite the doom and gloom that's enveloped the organization over the last two decades, there is now legitimate hope for the future. Hitting on their draft picks this spring would be a fantastic platform from which to build. Peters is the right man for the job based on his sterling efforts with the San Francisco 49ers. Expecting miracles right away is unrealistic, but there's also a chance this huge project can bear fruit sooner than most anticipate. All the chatter centers on what the Commanders will do from No. 2 overall, but there are eight other selections at their disposal.

Finding gems lower down the pecking order is equally important. Something Peters helped with frequently en route to securing a well-deserved promotion. Using the Pro Football Network simulator, we took a look at how the Commanders might approach their selections in a special pre-combine seven-round mock draft. The Washington Commanders were one of the biggest surprises of the 2024 season, fueled by Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels. With their franchise quarterback in place — and still on a rookie contract — the future looks bright in Washington, but there’s still plenty of work to be done to strengthen the roster. While upgrading the offensive skill positions will be a priority, the Commanders also need reinforcements along the offensive line and defense.

With $68.8 million in effective cap space, they’ll be a team to watch in free agency, but they should also have ample opportunities to add talent through the draft. Barron would be a major addition for the Commanders, bringing versatility and high-level ball production to the secondary. He was a standout in coverage last season, allowing just a 53.6% completion rate on throws into his coverage. He recorded five interceptions, broke up 10 more passes and didn’t surrender a single touchdown all season. Injuries slowed Williams in the postseason, but he was outstanding throughout the 2024 regular season. In pass protection, he allowed just three sacks and two quarterback hits.

Ferguson was a consistent chain-mover for the Ducks in 2024, with 31 of his 46 receptions resulting in first downs. He also proved to be a big-play threat, recording 18 explosive catches of 15 or more yards. The 2024 NFL combine begins Monday in Indianapolis, and the Washington Commanders will be front and center. The Commanders have an owner (Josh Harris) who took in July, a new general manager (Adam Peters), a new head coach (Dan Quinn), the most cap space in the NFL, and hold the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Washington is expected to take a quarterback second overall and will likely decide between Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels.

Williams is expected to go No. 1 overall to Chicago, so the choice should come down to Maye or Daniels. In addition to the second overall pick, Washington has nine overall selections, including six of the first 103 selections. We will learn a lot about several draft prospects at this week’s combine. But before the combine begins, using the PFF mock draft simulator, Commanders Wire did a seven-round mock draft for Washington. The Washington Commanders signed 18 players during the first week of NFL free agency.

General manager Adam Peters quickly went to work to improve a 4-13 roster, allowing several free agents to depart without making an offer, signing 15 outside free agents, and re-signing three of their own. Washington likely isn't done in free agency, but the major work is complete. The Commanders still have ample cap room to sign more players or make a trade for an impact player, but Peters will be judicious. His plan is to improve the roster in the short term while not sacrificing long-term financial flexibility. Where Peters plans to make the most impact is the 2024 NFL draft. Washington holds nine picks in next month's draft, including six in the top 100.

That type of draft capital gives Peters the ammunition to move back into the first round if he so chooses. With the first week of free agency over, let's dive into our second seven-round mock draft for the Commanders this offseason. We go back and forth every week. Will it be Drake Maye or Jayden Daniels? Washington traded Sam Howell last week. He is a close friend of Maye's.

While one would think the pair wouldn't mind reuniting in Washington, Maye admitted last month it wasn't exactly ideal competing against your close friend and likely taking his job. Now, that doesn't mean that's the reason Peters traded Howell, but we think there could be some merit there. That's why we are sticking with Maye here. That's the debate that has been taking place in the media for much of the draft process with many making arguments for both quarterbacks for the Washington Commanders. In Pro Football Focus' seven-round mock draft for the Commanders by its lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema, he had them taking Maye with the No. 2 overall pick, favoring the UNC quarterback's arm strength and ability to make big throws.

"Maye has the most big-time throws in college football over the last two years," Sikkema writes. "He also has a ton of experience throwing over the middle, as well as pushing it down the field outside the numbers. I like Maye’s overall arm talent (mainly natural velocity) more than Daniels. For those reasons, I have Maye as the second quarterback in the draft behind only Caleb Williams." Maye is the slight betting underdog to Daniels on FanDuel and DraftKings, though, Washington picking the 6-foot-4, 223-pound quarterback from North Carolina wouldn't be a shock. The more eye-grabbing pick in Sikkema's mock draft was the Commanders trading back into the first round with the Denver Broncos to take UCLA pass rusher Laiatu Latu with the No.

12 overall pick. In the trade, Sikkema has Washington give up one of its two second-round picks (36) and a third-round pick (67) in 2024 and its second and fifth-round picks in 2025. Latu has been one of the best pass rushers in college football and rode a stellar senior season to winning the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year and being named an All-American. Latu set career highs with 13 sacks, 21.5 tackles for loss and two interceptions in his final season as a Bruin. Latu also had a strong 2022 season with 10.5 sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss. Latu was medically retired at the University of Washington in 2020 before being cleared to return in 2022.

Sifting through his medicals is imperative for any team interested in drafting him, but if the Commanders are comfortable with his medicals, then trading up to take Latu is a deal that makes plenty... New Washington general manager Adam Peters has a chance to remake the Commanders with an estimated $80 million in cap space and nine picks in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft. Washington has plenty of needs heading into the offseason, and Peters could turn the Commanders’ nine picks into more before the draft is complete. Finding a franchise quarterback should be the goal for this offseason. Picking No. 2 overall gives Washington a unique opportunity to begin a regime with a new GM, head coach, and quarterback.

Our friend, Curt Popejoy of Draft Wire, recently completed a seven-round mock draft for the Commanders. He addressed multiple positions throughout, beginning with the quarterback. Let’s examine Draft Wire’s mock beginning with at No. 2 overall. In this mock draft, the Commanders select Jayden Daniels over Drake Maye. It’s difficult to get a read into Washington’s plans when it hasn’t selected a head coach yet, but there doesn’t appear to be a wrong answer between the two young passers.

Daniels is a playmaker who can throw the ball and has arguably the best deep ball in the draft, and is the most explosive QB since Lamar Jackson. The Washington Commanders head into the 2024 NFL draft with nine selections, beginning with the No. 2 overall pick. Everyone is certain that the Commanders will target a quarterback with their first pick, allowing them to use their final eight selections to build around their new passer. Washington signed over 20 outside free agents since free agency kicked off last month. Most of the deals were one year in length as the Commanders just looked to fill out the roster and compete in 2024.

The core of the team will be built through the draft, and fortunately for general manager Adam Peters, he has a lot to work with in this draft. In our previous seven-round mock draft, we traded up for an offensive tackle. In our mock draft 3.0, we did things a little differently, sitting still and picking the best available player for each of Washington's nine selections. In doing so, the Commanders came away with multiple future starters in this mock draft. We've stuck with Drake Maye in previous mock drafts, and we still believe there is a good chance he's the pick on April 25. However, the smoke around Daniels is becoming difficult to ignore.

Adam Schefter says most NFL teams have him as the second-best quarterback; some even have him ranked first, and he believes that will be too much for Washington to pass on. If Daniels is the pick, he gives offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury a dynamic dual threat who changes Washington's offense from the moment he arrives. Daniels impacts the deep passing game and running game.

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