Commanders 7-round mock draft: Trades, surprises in final 2023 edition
By Jonathan Eig
Commanders draft Jakorian Bennett
- Cornerback | Maryland Terrapins
This is where I got greedy and made a mistake. I was able happy to get another pick in the top 150. This pick was No. 149, and I held onto the Washington Commanders’ original pick at No. 150, giving me six picks in that top 150.
But by trading back here, I missed out on Christopher Smith, the productive Georgia defensive back who plays well above his measurables. In Jakorian Bennett, I’m getting a superb athlete who has great speed and was an excellent zone defender in college.
By focusing on offense early, I did not get the shutdown, No. 1 cornerback that I might have craved. But this draft offers a lot of solid secondary players who can join Kendall Fuller and Benjamin St-Juste to build depth.
Jayden Reed beat Jakorian Bennett yesterday, but Bennett got him back here.
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) February 2, 2023
Worth noting that the pass is noticeably under-thrown. Reed does a good job stacking Bennett. But Bennett shows off the recovery speed, and times his extension well.
pic.twitter.com/POUVWOExqN
Commanders draft Cory Trice Jr.
- Defensive Back | Purder Boilermakers
Speaking of building that depth, Cory Trice Jr. is a long, rangy defender who has the size to play in the box, but also enough skill to move outside in coverage. He reminds me of Jeremy Reaves, with more overt athleticism.
As such, he should become a very valuable special-teamer immediately, while providing excellent versatility in the backfield.