2022 NFL Draft: Commanders seven-round mock using only SEC players

Round 4, Pick No. 117: Tennessee CB Alontae Taylor

With so many powerhouses hailing in the SEC, it might come as a shock that we’re double-dipping from the Tennessee Volunteers’ program. Depending on how the draft shakes out, though, both prospects could be in play for Washington.

The first is Alontae Taylor, a former wide receiver who could become the Vols’ first cornerback drafted since back in 2018, if you can believe it. At 6-foot and 190 pounds with a 75-inch wingspan and 31.78-inch arms, Taylor has the requisite size and length to match up against boundary receivers in the NFL.

As a former receiver recruit, Taylor trusts his eyes and has fantastic reaction skills to break quickly on the ball. Due to his length and ability to close down passes, the former Volunteer projects best in a zone scheme as a pro. Luckily for him, defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio’s defensive scheme is zone-oriented.

Taylor needs to get stronger and work on becoming a more consistent tackler, but there’s potential for him to compete with Danny Johnson and Benjamin St-Juste for the third spot in the rotation behind Kendall Fuller and William Jackson III.

Round 6, Pick No. 189: Tennessee OL Cade Mays

The Commanders did well to sign Andrew Norwell to shore up their offensive line following Brandon Scherff’s departure, but the unit still has questions.

After all, Wes Schweitzer presumably taking over right guard duties hurts the team’s depth as he entered last season as a backup. That leaves Saahdiq Charles, who really came on towards the end of 2021, as the only reliable backup guard.

In this mock, Washington looks to bolster its OL depth in the form of Tennessee product Cade Mays, whom NFL Media prospect evaluator Lance Zierlein actually likened to Commanders center Chase Roullier.

If you remember, Roullier was taken in the sixth round back in 2016 and has since become one of the most consistent centers in the league. Where Mays has the edge over Washington’s center — in NFL prospect terms, obviously — is that he played every OL position over his collegiate career, which started at Georgia.

In 2021, Mays was a Second-Team All-SEC member and Washington could be drawn to him considering how Trey Smith panned out for the Chiefs last year after he started all 17 games as a rookie sixth-rounder out of Tennessee.