Washington Commanders 2022 Draft analysis and grades

Round Two

Phidarian “Phil” Mathis, Defensive Tackle

Entering day two, Washington was armed with a new third round selection following the trade one night earlier.  Most experts and fans expected an inside linebacker or a Buffalo nickel safety/linebacker to be the pick.  Once again, Washington shocked everyone by selecting Phil Mathis, the beefy and talented defensive tackle from Alabama.  A defensive tackle?  What?  The pick instantly astonished everyone and the questions were just getting started.  After all, there were other needs and no one other than the Washington’s decision makers expected a defensive tackle in the second round.

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1520195847278972928

Mathis was expected to be a third round target for team-needy defensive tackles, but Washington considered him to be a perfect fit on the interior line.  Earlier in the offseason, Washington released Matt Ioannidis and chose not to make an offer to pending free agent Tim Settle.  Both of these defensive tackles provided depth on the defensive line and many analysts expected Settle would re-sign with the Commanders.  Ioannidis was not expected to remain due to numerous injuries that affected his playing time and availability in recent years.

Drafting a defensive tackle was expected, but not in the second round.  Most analysts believed the Washington Commanders would draft a tackle on day three in rounds four through seven.  Enter Mathis.  It was certainly a team need, but would he have been there very late in the third round?  Probably not.  Washington identified the player they wanted in the second round and made the choice.  Mathis is a very talented lineman and should provide the organization with stellar play in the seasons to come.  It can’t be ignored that he was drafted earlier than expected.

Grade: B

Round Three

Brian Robinson, Jr., Running Back

In the first three rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, teams were zigging while the Washington Commanders were clearly zagging and they continued to offer no apologies for the selections that they made.  The front office was able to add this third round selection via the trade in round one and the former compensatory New Orleans draft pick became Washington’s newest running back.  Brian Robinson of Alabama became the second Crimson Tide player selected on day two by the Burgundy and Gold.

Immediately following this selection, it was now obvious to everyone that Washington was drafting for need and targeting the players that fit their plans.  The draft secret was no longer a secret.  It’s a strategy that is typically used for a player or two in each draft, but not an established pattern like we were seeing in the first three rounds.  Washington had a plan and it would be interesting to see if the strategy would continue into day three.

Brian Robinson was widely expected to be chosen in the third round according to many draft services, analysts, and draft pundits.  Bingo!  Many fans of the Commanders were still surprised, but there were strong indicators that a running back would be selected on day two, especially if Washington was able to obtain a third rounder.  In the weeks leading up to the draft, Washington coaches, front office staff, and scouts were very active in gathering information on running backs.  Robinson was not considered a target for the team, but the card was turned in and the former Crimson Tide standout is now a Commander.

Robinson will combine with Antonio Gibson to form what should be the best running back duo in the NFC East and one of the best in the NFL.  The impact will be immediate and very positive for the Burgundy and Gold.  Robinson could be the best overall pick for Washington in this draft.

Interesting Note:  We could not find any information on meetings that Robinson had with the Commanders before the draft.

Grade: A