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Commanders Protect Jayden Daniels In Latest Nfl Mock Draft

Bonisiwe Shabane
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commanders protect jayden daniels in latest nfl mock draft

Led by rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, the Washington Commanders played in the NFC Championship game in 2024. Big things were expected in 2025, but injuries had other ideas. Now 3-6, the Commanders are on the outside looking in on the NFC playoff picture, and it's been a lost season for Daniels due to injuries, including a dislocated elbow last week. The biggest storyline of Washington's offseason was wide receiver Terry McLaurin's contract standoff. While McLaurin and the Commanders eventually settled on a three-year extension two weeks before the season opener, it took him missing OTAs, training camp and the preseason. Unsurprisingly, McLaurin injured his quad in Week 3, returned in Week 8, and will be out for his sixth game on Sunday when Washington hosts the Detroit Lions.

It's been that type of season for the Commanders. And Washington's lack of depth at wide receiver is more glaring than ever. While we are still months away from the 2026 NFL draft, the Commanders look like a contender for a top-10 pick, which could land them one of the draft's top receiver prospects. In a new mock draft for The Athletic, Nick Baumgardner has Washington selecting Arizona State wideout Jordyn Tyson with the No. 9 overall pick. The Commanders could go with an edge in Round 1, but Jayden Daniels still needs a big-time, future No.

1 receiver who can help set a tone for the rest of the offense. And Tyson is the most complete WR in this draft. He blocks, and wins both in the air and underneath. Tyson does everything — and does it well. Adam Peters won't be looking too far ahead right now. The Washington Commanders are 3-4 with a brutal stretch of games upcoming, so it'll be interesting to see how much fight this squad has left amid some ongoing injury problems.

If the Commanders lose their next three, they'll be 3-7. A season that promised much will fall by the wayside, and fans will inevitably begin to look at the offseason to see what personnel enhancements can be made. This is also why the Commanders are in a tricky spot heading into the trade deadline. Peters is an aggressive roster builder, but sacrificing more capital when they have only six draft picks in 2026 is a gamble. Regardless of whether Peters makes a trade or not, the Commanders have to get their first-round pick right next spring. They currently hold the No.

12 pick as things stand, and although their needs will change between now and the big weekend, some clues are already starting to emerge. Ian Cummings from Pro Football and Sports Network believes Peters could go down the wide receiver route to provide Jayden Daniels with a long-term weapon. And his choice was USC's gifted playmaker Makai Lemon. Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels' gruesome injury was not bad enough to guarantee his season is over. According to Fox Sports' Jay Glazer, Daniels' dislocated left elbow was not even severe enough to land him on injured reserve. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported on Nov.

7 that Daniels managed to avoid any ligament damage in his elbow and will therefore avoid surgery. Glazer said on Nov. 9 that Washington plans to re-evaluate its starting quarterback in three weeks, setting up a potential return to action shortly after the team's Week 12 bye. In the meantime, backup quarterback Marcus Mariota will continue to start behind center for the Commanders. In four starts this season, Mariota is 1-3. Daniels remains out for the Commanders' Week 11 game against the Miami Dolphins.

The two teams will face off in Madrid, and two Hawaiian quarterbacks will start against each other for the second time this season – Tua Tagovailoa for the Dolphins and Mariota for the Commanders. The quarterback is the most important position on the field for the Washington Commanders and every other NFL team that actually wants to win games. Because of that, quarterbacks get overdrafted every year and overpaid every free agent period. When the Commanders drafted Jayden Daniels No. 2 overall in the NFL Draft, some thought the same was happening with him. He proved, however, that Washington not only didn't overdraft him but that the Chicago Bears may have actually missed out on their potential franchise quarterback.

Comparing Daniels and Bears rookie Caleb Williams in a very critical part of the game–sacks taken–one NFL.com analyst is pointing to protection as a direct contributor to the success or failure of each young... Because of that, the analyst believes the Commanders need to invest their No. 1 pick in the 2025 NFL Draft in offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. from the Oregon Ducks program. Jayden Daniels might be able to recover from injury in time to play again for the Commanders this season. That does not mean Washington should allow their franchise quarterback back on the field during the 2025 campaign.

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network has the report that Daniels will not need surgery to repair his injured elbow. That revelation opens up the door for the young signal-caller to return at some point before the end of the regular season. Clearly, Washington's chances of winning games go up when their No. 1 quarterback is able to line up under center. None of that changes the reality that Washington currently owns an ugly record of 3-6. That puts them 3.5 games behind the Eagles in the division and comfortably outside of a Wild Card place in the NFC.

To put it bluntly, the Commanders' chances of earning a postseason berth this year are minimal. This is especially true if they're forced to play a few more key games with Marcus Mariota taking snaps. That's why the higher-ups in Washington need to step in and do what's best for their franchise quarterback's long-term health. It's time for the front office to put Daniels on the shelf for the rest of the year. It's far more important to make sure Daniels gets fully healthy this offseason than to rush him back into action for a meaningless game or two at the end of this season. Keeping Daniels on the shelf until 2026 would also give the Commanders a chance to build a better offensive ecosystem around him.

Trading for Laremy Tunsil gave his offensive line a big boost, but rookie Josh Conerly needs more reps before he's a quality option at the other tackle spot. It might also be advisable for Washington to look for better options at guard through free agency or next year's draft. February 21, 2025 Royce Collins Sports 0 The Washington Commanders are coming off a great season under Dan Quinn and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and the franchise is poised to remain in the NFC’s upper echelon for a while. After making the playoffs as a 12-win team, Daniels led the Commanders to two postseason victories and an NFC Championship appearance, which they lost to the Philadelphia Eagles. But one glaring need that became apparent during the season was that Daniels’ protection wasn’t the best, which led to a whopping 47 sacks on Jayden, the sixth-most in football.

So, with all the roster needs, maybe the offensive line is No. 1, and in Gennaro Filice’s mock draft for NFL.com, that is exactly where general manager Adam Peters goes in the first round with Oregon stud Josh Conerly Jr. “PROTECT JAYDEN DANIELS AT ALL COSTS,” Filice writes. “The Offensive Rookie of the Year took 47 sacks in the regular season. While that figure pales in comparison to Caleb Williams’ absurd total (68), it’s still disconcerting, especially given Daniels’ slight frame. Third-round pick Brandon Coleman acquitted himself quite well as a rookie left tackle, but Washington would be wise to keep building a wall around the exhilarating new face of the franchise.” In Conerly Jr.,...

As if the Washington Commanders didn't have enough issues already in the midst of a very disappointing season, the team is now operating without the services of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Daniels has been sidelined since he suffered an ugly elbow injury in the Week 9 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. The second-year quarterback was diagnosed with a dislocated elbow, which many initially believed might end his season. However, a recent update on Daniels says otherwise, opening the door for him to play again in 2025. According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, tests revealed Daniels' injury isn't as bad as first believed, as the young quarterback avoided ligament damage and he doesn't need surgery. Rapoport adds that, right now, the team is not putting Daniels on injured reserve.

The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team. It's a new year in a new era for the Washington Commanders, and they have a chance to start the Dan Quinn-Adam Peters regime off by taking one of the best players in college... The Commanders hold the No. 2 overall pick following a 4-13 finish to the 2023 season. After jumping out to a 2-0 start, the Commanders won only two games for the rest of the year and wrapped the season up with an eight-game losing streak, the longest in the league... But with them picking so high, the team will have their choice of whoever they want to name as the first player of Quinn and Peters' efforts to recalibrate the roster through the draft.

Most analysts anticipate that the Commanders will take a quarterback with the pick, and there are a variety of players to choose from if that is the path the team takes. However, they are still a ways away from making that decision, and there are several factors to consider. They could stay at No. 2, or they could trade the pick to move up or down, depending on whether the deal makes sense for them. They could also address other needs on the roster, whether it's offensive line, receiver or pass-rusher. In anticipation for that selection, Commanders.com will highlight one mock draft from a draft expert each week to delve into how that player would fit with Washington.

Next up, we're looking at NFL.com's Chad Reuter's four-round mock draft, where he has Washington taking a quarterback, finding an offensive lineman to protect him and improving their secondary.

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