NFL Mock Draft: 4 first-round targets for Washington after recent surge

Remember heading into the bye when the Washington Football Team endured an ugly loss to the Denver Broncos to fall to 2-6?

At that point, a big chunk of fans were content with tanking the season with the hope of landing a top-five pick in the 2022 draft that would ultimately be used on a quarterback.

It’s funny how things work out, because Washington could still net their QB of the future next April even following their four-game win streak.

After all, if the season ended today (before Sunday’s game vs the Cowboys) the Football Team would hold the No. 20 overall pick.

In our latest draft piece, Washington held the No. 8 selection, so, barring a late-season collapse, a number of top-notch prospects will be out of their reach now. The most likely scenario is they hold a pick in the 15-25 range.

With that in mind, let’s highlight some additional Round 1 prospects whom Washington should be eyeing in next year’s showcase.

4 first-round targets for Washington Football Team

4. Andrew Booth Jr., CB, Clemson

Prior to Week 13, Kendall Fuller had been performing better than any cornerback in the league. William Jackson can be lumped into that category as well since he returned from injury, and Danny Johnson, an impending free agent, is making a case to stick around as the team’s slot specialist.

So, with Washington seemingly set at the cornerback position, why would the franchise draft one in the first round? Well, for starters, position shouldn’t determine a team’s draft approach. How many squad’s have reaped the rewards of drafting the best player available in Round 1 over the years?

The list is endless, and that’s exactly what Washington should do with Andrew Booth Jr. if he’s available for the taking. You might be thinking, what about Benjamin St-Juste? We obviously haven’t forgot about the 2021 third-rounder.

For all the promise he’s flashed as a rookie, it’s pretty alarming St-Juste has been in concussion protocol three separate times this year.

Head injuries aren’t of the exclusive variety, meaning there’s a high probability this becomes a lingering issue for St-Juste. Who knows? Maybe we never speak of this again and St-Juste goes on to have a successful career, but history suggests Washington should have insurance at the CB position.

Booth has special playmaking ability, ideal length and athleticism, and years of production in a high-end conference. In other words, the Clemson star is NFL-ready and should be on Washington’s first-round big board.