4 return specialists Commanders could draft to replace DeAndre Carter

Trestan Ebner, RB, Baylor

The only reason Ebner wasn’t our first or second choice is because Washington already has a similarly-skilled player on the roster in Jaret Patterson. Where Ebner and Patterson differ, however, is that Ebner played receiver in high school, meaning he has experience as a receiver, running back and return man.

That type of versatility doesn’t grow on trees and we all know how much Rivera champions versatility in draft prospects.

Ebner’s college stats are a mouthful, as he totaled 1,690 rushing yards on 4.9 yards per carry out of the backfield and caught 127 passes for 1,515 yards as a receiver. The Baylor product turned those touches into 29 touchdowns.

In addition, Ebner handled kickoff return duties for the Bears, averaging an impressive 25.3 yards per return over 47 tries. In 2021, he was promoted to the team’s top punt returner, fielding 19 of them for a grand total of 154 yards.

Carter didn’t have tremendous success as a punt returner, so Washington could turn to one of Patterson, Curtis Samuel or Dax Milne to fill that role. In terms of kickoff returns, though, very few were better than Carter in 2021, and either one of Jones Jr. Jones, Covey and Ebner would qualify as quality replacements.