First Round Pick Shows Commanders Want To Build Fortress Around Qb

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 2:26 AM

first round pick shows commanders want to build fortress around qb

For the Washington Commanders, the 2025 NFL draft could end up being a referendum on a future that’s as bright as any team in the NFL. It’s a future that has just one path forward, and all destinations point toward second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels. The Commanders underlined that fact by taking Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. in the first round with the No. 29 overall pick — this despite already having what seemed like a stacked offensive line. From ESPN’s John Keim: “Washington wants to build a fortress in front of quarterback Jayden Daniels.

It has revamped its offensive line this offseason by trading for Laremy Tunsil and by drafting Conerly, who can play either guard or tackle. In three of the last four regular-season games, Daniels’ sack percentage was 10.4 or higher and the pressure percentage 37.5 or greater. Daniels can run, but he’s a passer first and this should provide him more chances to hang in the pocket and throw the ball. Washington can now envision its starting five for the next several years with Tunsil, Conerly, guard Sam Cosmi, center Tyler Biadasz and Brandon Coleman.” While Daniels, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, is definitely the future face of the Commanders’ franchise, he might also be the future face of the NFL.

That’s clear after he led Washington to a 12-5 record, NFC Championship Game appearance and was named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. According to Spotrac, Conerly will receive a 4-year, $15.6 million rookie contract along with an $8 million signing bonus. Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters, left, and head coach Dan Quinn, right, listen to first-round draft pick offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. during an NFL football news conference in Ashburn, Va., Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)

Washington Commanders first-round draft pick offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. speaks to the media during an NFL football news conference in Ashburn, Va., Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez) Mississippi cornerback Trey Amos (9) reacts during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Kentucky Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Oxford, Miss.

(AP Photo/Randy J. Williams, File) Washington Commanders first-round draft pick offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr., center, holds his jersey with head coach Dan Quinn, left, and general manager Adam Peters, right, after an NFL football news conference in Ashburn,... (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez) Washington Commanders general manager Adam Peters prepares to introduce first-round draft pick offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr.

during an NFL football news conference in Ashburn, Va., Friday, April 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez) The opinions expressed in this article do not reflect those of the team. After months of speculation, the 2025 NFL Draft is here, and by the time the weekend is done, the Washington Commanders will have more new players to improve their roster. This is the second draft with general manager Adam Peters is leading a front office that is dedicated to finding players who best fit head coach Dan Quinn's vision for the franchise.

They have five picks to do so, including the No. 29 overall selection. Check back to this live blog for every move leading up to the pick. There shouldn't be any surprises here. The Titans need a quarterback, and they're expected to take the best one on the board in Cam Ward. Mel Kiper Jr.

just said on ESPN that he's everything you want a quarterback to be, and there's little to dispute that. The rising importance of the 2026 NFL Draft for several teams came into focus after last week's trade deadline. With the New York Jets having dealt cornerback Sauce Gardner to the Indianapolis Colts, there are now four NFL teams that have multiple first-round picks in April. And with the Tennessee Titans and New York Giants having already fired their head coaches, several fan bases are probably ready to close the book on this season and enter offseason mode. But with the first-round order still shifting significantly week to week, there's still ample time for team's draft fortunes to rise or fall. With that said, here's USA TODAY Sports' latest first-round projection and 2026 NFL mock draft:

There's a strong possibility for Tennessee to possess the No. 1 pick in consecutive years after the Saints' and Browns' victories left the Titans as the only one-win team remaining. And that creates a bit of a mystery atop the order. An organization that's yet again rebooting would clearly stand to benefit from trading back and stockpiling more early selections to support Cam Ward. Yet this quarterback class doesn't seem particularly conducive to drumming up a bidding war for this choice. If Tennessee does end up in the slot and stands pat, it could supercharge its defense with Reese.

Though he operates as a linebacker for the Buckeyes, the 6-foot-4, 243-pounder has Micah Parsons-like movement abilities that could be best put to use in a full-time edge rushing role. The Titans could pair him with Jeffery Simmons to create one of the league's most formidable inside-outside tandems and then use the rest of the draft – and free agency – to focus on... A franchise with a decades-long habit of being trigger-shy when it comes to selecting quarterbacks might be hard-pressed to go this route, especially if Tyler Shough continues to exhibit the promise he displayed in... But unless the second-round rookie firmly establishes himself as New Orleans' answer at the position in the back half of the season, Mendoza might be massively alluring. The Heisman Trophy front-runner now also figures to be the favorite to be the first quarterback taken, with his game-winning drive against Penn State highlighting resiliency and a knack for operating out of structure... The 6-5, 225-pounder is the kind of precise thrower who could allow Kellen Moore to launch a new era for the organization in earnest.

While it was all but announced, Caleb Williams was always headed to the Chicago Bears with the No. 1 overall pick in the draft. This took the best quarterback and best player in the draft off the board ahead of the Washington Commanders selecting at pick No. 2. Still, with the second pick in the draft, the Commanders were able to secure LSU product Jayden Daniels to give the team some comfortability under center. Not only is it a dream come true for Daniels, but it fills a big need of the Commanders'.

“That my childhood dream came true and I'm blessed to be here and be able to hear my name called," Daniels said of the moment. "I can't wait to get to work, you know, just be able to spend that time with family. Two of my closest friends in Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas and share this special moment with them too.” With Daniels securing a childhood dream, now the real work starts. He flashed all of his potential during his time at LSU, and now he gets to display his talent wearing a Commanders jersey. He's going to have the fan base rallying behind him, believing in him to take the franchise to the highest level.

He also had the opportunity to send a message to Washington fans after his selection. “You’re going to get somebody that's a competitor, that wants to win no matter what. And I just want to go ahead and compete. I want to help the team win football games," Daniels said. "At some point in the future, we'll get this thing turned around, hopefully, but take it day-by-day. I'm willing to work and put everything out there on the line.”

ASHBURN, Va. (AP) — Jayden Daniels in the NFL draft got an offensive lineman to protect him for the foreseeable future and a receiver prospect to complement Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel, and the Washington Commanders... Not exactly Christmas in April, but for a team fresh off a trip to the NFC championship game that found its franchise quarterback in Daniels and made trade splashes for Samuel and left tackle... Washington took Oregon offensive tackle Josh Conerly Jr. later in the first round and Ole Miss cornerback Trey Amos in the second at No. 61.

Amos was under consideration at No. 29, too. “I didn’t think Conerly was going to be there when we picked, and I certainly didn’t think Amos was going to be there when we picked,” Peters said. "We feel like we got two players that were first-round quality, so we’re thrilled and I think the board fell to us pretty well.” Add fourth-round receiver Jaylin Lane out of Virginia Tech, sixth-round linebacker Kain Medrano out of UCLA and seventh-round running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt out of Arizona, and the Commanders can feel good about their offseason.

First Round Pick Shows Commanders Want To Build Fortress Around Qb

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