3 rival picks that would be bad news for Commanders in 2022 NFL Draft

1. Giants Get Two Cornerstones in Top 10

Hopefully by now Commanders fans have accepted the fact that the Giants are getting two studs with their first-round picks.

With Nos. 5 and 7, general manager Joe Schoen is seemingly in a cant-lose position leading up to his first draft. Either he can trade back and stockpile more picks for next year’s deep quarterback class (they’ve yet to exercise Daniel Jones’ fifth-year option) or simply stand pat and draft the two best players available.

Let’s just assume they keep both picks.

It’s a nightmare scenario for Washington begin with, but it could worsen if New York gets its hands on one of the top tackles — either NC State’s Ikem Ekwonu or Alabama’s Evan Neal — and an immediate impact player on defense.

Most mock drafts have the Giants going edge rusher, either Kayvon Thibodeux, Jermaine Johnson or Trevon Walker if he falls, or Cincinnati corner Ahmad Gardner, who’d step in as one of the division’s top defensive backs as a rookie.

Again, none of those spell fun for Washington. But what if the Giants net Kyle Hamilton with the No. 7 pick? The way we see it, Hamilton is more of a sure thing than any one of the aforementioned pass rushers.

Instead of rolling the dice on a pass rusher who might need a year or two of development, New York adding a top-five prospect in Hamilton to immediately raise their defensive ceiling while also pairing one of Ekwonu or Neal with franchise left tackle Andrew Thomas would be awful news for Washington.

It would sting even more if we learn the Commanders were planning on taking Hamilton with their own first-round pick.