Commanders Mock Draft: Washington makes massive trade in fist round

R2, P47  Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State

An underrated need for the Washington Commanders is the tight end position. With Logan Thomas on the wrong side of 30, coming off a torn ACL and the only other realistic long-term option being John Bates, another option is needed.

And again, Washington’s plan should be formed into something like “give Carson Wentz zero excuses to fail.” And with the selection of the Colorado State product, Washington gets a “do-it-all” tight end. McBride has the athleticism to be an efficient target in the passing game at the next level.

He also has a high level of competitive toughness and above-average blocking technique. While he needs refinement on the nuances to the position at the next level, he has a baseline that will make him playable from day one. The combination of him and John Bates will make two of the harder-nosed tight-end duos in the league.

And unlike John Bates, he provides higher upside as a pass-catcher. With the absence of Logan Thomas having the potential to last months into the 2022 season, McBride and Bates can be a very formidable duo in the tight end room.

R2, P63 Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor 

Pitre’s best calling card is his versatility. While his position says safety, Pitre is a quality slot defender in man coverage. Furthermore, he is a sure tackler. His ability to change directions quickly, allows him to be best in the short-to-intermediate range at defending passes.

He is also a very capable tackler and blitzer, with the ability to cut the edge with quickness and bend. While Pitre lacks prototpyical size, he makes up for it with his versatility, quickness and football acumen.

He would fit best in Jack Del Rio’s scheme as the buffalo nickel, or the third safety that serves as the slot corner in nickel packages. His top-end speed is not elite, which may prevent him from being relied upon as a single-high safety, however, Washington runs their fair share of two-high which can mask this defeciency.

And Washington’s nickel defenders were underwhelming in 2021. Pitre can come in and make an impact in the slot on day one.

R3, P95 Leo Chenal LB Wisconsin 

Leo Chenal at first glance seems to be the typical old-school linebacker. The “big, slightly slow-footed, sure tackler” linebacker. Well, two of those things are true with Chenal. Standing at 6-foot-3 and 250 pounds, he certainly looks the part.

And he showed an advanced knowledge of the game at Wisconsin. He nearly always stayed true to his gap assignments, had a quick trigger and had a clear nose for the ball. If the running back got anywhere close to Chenal, odds are he was not getting much further.

Chenal provides Washington exactly what they need, a reliable tackler in between the tackles. And while Chenal has room to grow in pass coverage, his off-the-chart athletic numbers give hope he can develop this skill at the next level.

At his Wicsonsin Pro Day, Chenal ran a 4.53 40-yard dash, had a 40.5-inch vertical jump, a 10-8 broad jump, pumped out 34 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, had a 6.84s 3-cone, and a 3.94 short shuttle. Those numbers plus his size clocked him in at a 9.99 RAS score according to Kent Lee Platte. The mark ranked seventh out of 2,188 linebackers tested since 1987.

Chenal is an athletic freak. Combine that with his high-level football IQ and this is highway robbery for the Commanders to select Chenal at 95. He would fit in Day 1 into Del Rio’s defensive scheme.