3 takeaways from Ron Rivera-Martin Mayhew pre-draft press conference
By Jerry Trotta
It’s draft week, and the Washington Commanders are hoping to have a better showing in the annual showcase than last year, when their best rookie performer wound up being fourth-round tight end John Bates.
That looks even worse when you consider Bates was the team’s fifth draft pick behind Jamin Davis, Sam Cosmi, Benjamin St-Juste and Dyami Brown.
Despite the lackluster draft, we’re oddly confident in Washington this time around. Not only are they properly positioned to add a franchise cornerstone at pick No. 11, but they seem to have scouted and interviewed the right prospects.
With the top 10 being impossible to predict, fans won’t have any clue what direction Washington is going until the pick is announced. That’s part of what makes this year’s draft so compelling: most teams will have to adapt on the fly.
Taking that into account, we can only imagine how Ron Rivera and Martin Mayhew are feeling with the big night just days away.
On Monday, the duo previewed the draft and addressed other key topics like Chase Young’s recovery and Terry McLaurin’s contract. Seeing that it’s draft week, let’s highlight the top three draft-oriented takeaways from the presser.
3 takeaways from Commanders’ pre-draft press conference
3. Rivera Wants to Protect Carson Wentz
For any fans hoping for some top-secret information on Washington’s first-round plans and draft crushes, you’ve come to the wrong place. When it comes to dropping hints on potential mid-round picks, though, you’re barking up the right tree.
Still, anything coming from a team’s head coach and general manager just days before the draft is worth taking stock in. First up, Ron Rivera reiterated the need to protect Carson Wentz and surround him with “dynamic playmakers.”
The Commanders drafting a receiver seems obvious, but the offensive line tidbit is interesting, especially when you consider ESPN’s John Keim tweeted the team could target one in the first round if one of the big names slide.
While Ickey Ekwonu, Evan Neal, Charles Cross, Trevon Penning and Zion Johnson, among others, would be tempting, we’d much rather see Washington use their second-round pick on a linemen if they want to take one early.
Keim made sure to clarify that in his tweet. Between Sam Cosmi, Saahdiq Charles, Chase Roullier, Austin Reiter and Morgan Moses, the Commanders have seemingly had no trouble identifying future starters in the middle rounds over the years.
Without a right guard following Brandon Scherff’s departure, Roullier and Cosmi coming off injury-plagued seasons, and not much depth behind Charles and Cornelius Lucas, expect Washington to add at least one new OL before the end of Saturday.