Boosting their talent at edge-rusher has to be at or near the top of the to-do list for the Washington Commanders in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they don't need to do it early in the process. There is a red flag attached to some of the edge defenders Adam Peters would likely take with the No. 29 overall pick.
Fortunately, a trio of unheralded edge rushers should still be within range of Peters on Day 3. One of the hidden gems of this class will likely be consigned to the later rounds because he's a small-school prospect who faced anything but elite competition throughout his collegiate career.
You can only dominate what's in front of you, and this pass-rushing natural did exactly that. He has a flair for pressure in common with another less-than-fancied edge in this class. An SEC rush end who fights the tag of being "too small" for the pros, despite coming from a big program.
Being undersized but still productive could be better than being considered untested. It's the knock on one late-to-the-party pass-rusher who only boasts a small sample size to wow scouts.
Here are the Day 3 pass-rushers Peters should keep on his radar.
Day 3 pass-rushers the Commanders should have on their draft radar
Commanders could draft David Walker
The best player on this list might be FCS star David Walker. Whatever the X-factor is for successful pass-rushers, he has it.
He posted "some of the most dominant football tape I've ever seen. Just playing on sandbox mode out there," according to The 33rd Team's James Foster.
The latter highlighted Walker winning with a nasty bull rush move, converting speed to power instantly, but this is just one weapon in his arsenal. The Central Arkansas prospect's "ability to create push from different alignments is what makes his profile so intriguing," according to The Draft Network's Ryan Fowler.
Variety yielded a ton of positive production for Walker. The 24-year-old registered 30 sacks in three years with the Bears.
Walker's detractors will always point to a lack of quality competition, but he proved at the Senior Bowl that he can hang with more upmarket would-be NFL rookies. In the process, Walker also convinced Foster he's a "Melvin Ingram/Brandon Graham type of player."
That's high praise considering Ingram went to three Pro Bowls and forced 16 fumbles. Meanwhile, Graham won two Super Bowls and recorded 76.5 sacks across an illustrious 15-year career with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Neither Graham nor Ingram exceeded 6-foot-2. Walker merits comparison because he's 6-foot-1 and belies his lack of height with innate explosiveness and excellent leverage.
Those qualities make him a true game-wrecker at any level. Successfully rushing the passer is a niche skill that translates well to the pro game. Walker could be just as disruptive in the big league, provided he's put into the right scheme.
Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr. would offer an optimal blueprint because their linemen play the run only on the way to the quarterback. They'd use Walker as an instant sub-package playmaker who would add some juice to the third-down defense.
He'd need a lot of refinement to develop into something more, but Walker could defy lowly draft status to become a regular contributor early for the Commanders and their front seven.