2023 Mock Draft 4.0: Commanders solidify secondary with Big Ten star

The Washington Commanders are in the middle of a playoff race this season and while the offseason is still many weeks away, scouts and front office personnel do have a focus on the 2023 offseason.

The Washington Commanders are continuing to fight for a playoff slot this season and fans are primarily thinking about the next game.  The upcoming offseason is certainly drawing the attention of analysts as the weather gets colder and before we know it, the topics of football conversations will center on free agency and the 2023 NFL Draft.  Each offseason provides the Burgundy and Gold with numerous opportunities to upgrade the roster and jettison players with bloated contracts, talent deficiencies, long-term injuries, and aging bodies.  Can the Commanders front office fill most of their needs with the 2023 draft?

It’s the fourth installment of our 2022 in-season mock draft and we have plenty of changes to talk about today.  Mock 4.0 will feature several new players and two trades, including a special trade in the first round.  With their loss on Sunday to the Vikings, the Commanders are still looking at a mid-round pick in the first round.  We are going to add a twist to the trades today and give you a surprise here and there.  However, keep in mind that this is not a casual game.  It is a tool that analysts use to inform fans of the Commanders of potential prospects for the team in future years.  Let’s take a look.

Commanders 2023 Mock Draft 4.0

Round One

Joey Porter, Cornerback, Penn State

The Commanders moved on from free agent bust William Jackson just prior to the trade deadline last week as expected.  The low-round trade needed to happen and the team moved on from him.  Washington is actually better off without Jackson – he never fit into Jack Del Rio’s defensive scheme.  However, there will continue to be a major need for a very talented shutdown cornerback in 2023.

2021 third round draft pick Benjamin St-Juste is quickly becoming a solid cornerback for the Commanders and his ascension has been a major factor in the success of the defensive unit in recent weeks.  Also, Kendall Fuller seems to be putting his shaky early season failures behind him, but the veteran is still over-matched at times.  Depth is a major concern as well and all of this collectively points to a team in need of a young lockdown cornerback.

Joey Porter of the Penn State Nittany Lions could be that player the team seeks in 2023.  After selecting Penn State’s star wide receiver (Jahan Dotson) in the first round in the 2022 draft, it is time to consider another star from State College in the 2023 first round.  We had plenty of nice things to say about Porter two weeks ago and everything still applies.  He checks all of the boxes that Washington needs in a cornerback.

***Trade***

The Washington Commanders trade their 2023 second rounder and a 2024 first round draft choice and move back into the middle-late portion of the first round.

Hendon Hooker, Quarterback, Tennessee

When Tennessee traveled to Georgia last Saturday, Hooker and the Volunteers ran into a brick wall that is known as the Bulldogs defense – Smoky had no chance against UGA.  Honestly, many teams haven’t had a chance against Georgia’s defense over the last two years.  The Red Clay Hounds are the best of the best at this time and the Vols gave it all it had in Athens.  Tennessee is still one of the best teams in the nation and they continue to be in the College Football Playoff picture.

Quarterback Hendon Hooker is one of the main reasons the Volunteers are so good this year.  He is likely a second round prospect at this time, but quarterbacks tend to come with a premium price and the Commanders certainly have the need here.  The Carson Wentz experiment is probably over and while he didn’t have a fair chance, this is the reality for signal callers in the NFL.  Taylor Heinicke is strictly a backup and he could be with another team in 2023.  Hooker will need some time to develop and could be ready by 2024.

Round Three (Compensatory Pick)

Dawand Jones, Offensive Tackle, Ohio State

In recent weeks, analysts and fans have been suggesting right tackle Sam Cosmi should be moved to right guard.  The coaching staff for the Commanders have hinted that it could be a possibility him when a hand injury is fully healed.  That would leave an obvious need at right tackle once again and Dawand Jones can fill that position starting in 2023.  At 6-8, 360 pounds, the massive Buckeye will probably need to lose about ten pounds and become faster on his feet.

Round Four

***Trade***

The Commanders trade down in round four and gain a fifth round selection with the transaction.

Daiyan Henley, Linebacker, Washington State

The Commanders could use some quality depth at the linebacker position.  Cole Holcomb has cemented his status as a team leader on defense and Jamin Davis has improved substantially this season.  Both players are locks to be starters for years to come, but another linebacker is needed for rotational purposes and superb depth.  Daiyan Henley was a stud for the Nevada Wolfpack for five years (he was injured in 2019) and he received a rare sixth year from the NCAA.

He is a leading tackler for the Cougars and can get to the quarterback quickly.  Henley is also fantastic in coverage and has a knack for forcing turnovers.  It helps that he is facing quality competition in a Power 5 conference and doing so at a high level of play.

Round Five

Cody Mauch, Offensive Guard, North Dakota State

The guards for the Commanders this season have struggled at times, but they have also produced a few decent games as well.  Andrew Norwell and Trai Turner were signed during the offseason, but they are aging quickly and likely to be gone after this season.  Saahdiq Charles is a 2020 fourth round bust and Wes Schweitzer can’t seem to stay healthy.  Washington needs to find replacements in the draft and free agency.

Cody Mauch of perennial FCS powerhouse North Dakota State (the alma mater of Carson Wentz) is your classic northern plains corn-fed farm boy from North Dakota.  He is an offensive tackle for the Bison, but his place in the NFL is on the inside.  At 6-6, 305 pounds, Mauch certainly has the height for an NFL guard, but he will need to add about twenty pounds of muscle and bulk to his frame.  He is a better-than-average run mauler and pass protector and could be a starter in his first season at left guard.

Henry Bainivalu, Offensive Guard, Washington

The Commanders could return to the Pacific Northwest and add another guard in the middle rounds in next spring’s draft.  The Rivera regime places a certain significance on the size of their interior offensive linemen.  Norwell (6-6, 310), Turner (6-3, 320), Tyler Larsen (6-4, 335), Chris Paul (6-4, 325), Charles (6-4, 322), Cornelius Lucas (6-8, 327), and Chase Roullier (6-4, 315) provide the beef up front.  It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Burgundy and Gold draft another sizable guard could happen in late April.

Henry Bainivalu of the Washington Huskies would add plenty of size and excellent depth for the other Washington.  At 6-7, 330 pounds, he certainly fits what the current coaching staff is looking for in a guard.  For several years now, Bainivalu has been a starter at right guard.  However, he will need at least a year to adjust to the life of an NFL offensive lineman.  He is another player that was granted a sixth year by the NCAA and has taken the time to add some needed weight and muscle to his frame.

Round Six

Roschon Johnson, Running Back, Texas

When it was announced recently that versatile running back J.D. McKissic was going to see a specialist regarding a neck injury, it caught local media, analysts, and fans by surprise.  Perhaps the Commanders are being overly cautious with a minor injury, but it could be much more serious than the team is telling us at this time.  A bad neck injury is potentially career ending, but it is very premature to consider this possibility.

The Commanders seem set with Antonio Gibson and Brian Robinson as their one-two tandem and if McKissic’s health improves soon with little or no concerns, then the position is certainly set for 2023.  The fourth running back for now is Jonathan Williams, but he has rarely played this season.  Depth is an issue and Williams is probably not a candidate to return next year.

A depth piece will be needed and Roschon Johnson can provide that missing part of the running back puzzle.  Similar in size to Gibson and Robinson, this Longhorn can churn out some tough yardage as needed and give a breather to the regulars.  He is also a very good receiver coming out of the backfield and on screens.  His pass blocking is what you would want in a running back.  Johnson is the primary backup to All-American running back Bijan Robinson, but the fourth year senior would be the primary rusher at many programs.

Round Seven

Keondre Coburn, Defensive Tackle, Texas

Adding depth along the defensive and offensive lines in any draft is always a good idea, especially defensive tackles.  It’s a position that is generally overlooked by analysts leading up to any draft, but front offices fully understand the importance of having the big space eaters on the defensive line.  The Commanders drafted defensive tackle Phidarian “Phil” Mathis in the second round of the 2022 draft and were able to surprisingly add former Cowboys tackle John Ridgeway from the waiver wire a few weeks ago.

Ridgeway, a fifth round pick this year, was a surprise addition after Dallas needed the roster space for a day and was looking to add him to their practice squad.  Washington put in a claim (and so did other teams) and scored a major coup.  To have two of the better defensive tackles from the 2022 draft is a major win for the Commanders.  Current defensive tackle Daron Payne could walk after this season and Washington could gain draft compensation in 2024.

The Burgundy and Gold could draft Texas defensive tackle Keondre Coburn at this juncture.  At 6-2, 345, he is a decent player with plenty of potential.  Coburn will need to lose about twenty pounds if he hopes to have an impact at the next level.

Commanders 2023 NFL Draft Thoughts

The Commanders currently own the No. 16 overall pick in the first round.  Given the schedule and expected record after seventeen games, a mid-first round selection seems likely.

If Logan Thomas continues to have troubles with his recovery from a knee injury last year, the Commanders could draft a tight end next year.

A couple of months ago, the free safety position was considered a need in the 2023 draft.  The emergence of Darrick Forrest has changed that strategy.

For now, we’ll continue to include a quarterback in these bi-monthly mocks.  If Carson Wentz returns from his injury and demonstrates that he is able to successfully lead this team, the need for a quarterback in the offseason will dwindle.

Mock 5.0 will be here in about fourteen days.  Major changes are coming for Thanksgiving week and there will be a few surprises.  Will a tight end be mocked at that time?  See you as we go along.