4 prospects the Commanders must avoid during 2023 NFL Draft
By Dean Jones
Which prospects must the Washington Commanders avoid during a hugely important 2023 NFL Draft process for the franchise?
After a quiet spell in free agency with very few big splashes, the Washington Commanders will be banking on the 2023 NFL Draft to fill key needs and pick up valuable contributors. This bears more significance when one considers there is just $2.42 million in available salary-cap space for the team to utilize.
This has to come up just to sign their draft class if nothing else, so expect another sacrifice or two to free up additional financial resources. However, the importance of this particular selection process cannot be understated with Ron Rivera’s seat set to get piping hot once ownership changes as expected.
The Commanders have eight picks at their disposal, which is a positive. They’ve also got a decent track record of unearthing some rough diamonds lower down the pecking order in recent years, which they’ll need once again this time around to boost hopes of playoff football.
It’ll be interesting to see how those in power approach things with so much at stake. With this in mind, here are four prospects the Commanders must avoid during the 2023 NFL Draft.
Prospect No. 1
Commanders must avoid Cody Mauch
- Offensive Line | North Dakota State Bison
The front-tooth missing Cody Mauch is gaining notoriety as a mauler with an infectious enthusiasm that’s gone down extremely well throughout the assessment process. But with the offensive lineman now boasting a late-first or early second-round grade, the Washington Commanders should approach with extreme caution.
Mauch is set for a huge step up in competition compared to what he experienced at North Dakota State. His inexperience as an interior protector is another potential stumbling block considering how desperate the Commanders are for immediate offensive line assistance.