The most eventful portion of free agency is over. Every team across the league made moves to improve or re-tool their roster thus far. The Washington Commanders were major players as expected, but their two major splashes came in the trade market.
Adam Peters re-signed players he deemed key to Washington's success. Prolific veterans such as linebacker Bobby Wagner and tight end Zach Ertz were among several deservedly rewarded for their efforts.
Laremy Tunsil and Deebo Samuel Sr. both made their way onto the Commanders for values compared to their talent via trade. Free agents such as Javon Kinlaw and Will Harris were also added to the 2025 roster as replacements for two key departures — Jonathan Allen and Jeremy Chinn.
With that being said, the Commanders' roster can still be improved in some substantial ways. Here are some of Peters' biggest remaining needs.
Commanders' biggest draft needs after eventful 2025 free agency
Offensive line
The Tunsil trade solves more holes on the offensive line than just left tackle. With the five-time Pro Bowler joining the trenches, this now allows sophomore Brandon Coleman to potentially move onto the interior or right tackle depending on what the plan is for Andrew Wylie.
Coleman showed a lot of promise at left tackle in his rookie season, but the Commanders now have a true star. Tyler Biadasz proved worthy enough of keeping his starting job at center, so there is no need to replace him this offseason.
Sam Cosmi is one of the best guards in the league, but he unfortunately went down with an ACL tear in the divisional round. This means he will likely miss most if not all of the 2025 season, so selecting a player that provides good depth on the interior at some point in the draft may be something that Peters and the front office think about.
Secondary
The Commanders' defense was not very good in 2024. Some of that had to do with the secondary being rather lackluster. To make matters worse, Chinn left to sign with the Las Vegas Raiders in free agency.
Harris and cornerback Jonathan Jones were brought in on short-term deals. Even though they could start, they are veterans who could be better-suited to rotational roles. Upgrading should be on Peters' mind.
The cornerback room is solid with Marshon Lattimore and Mike Sainristil leading the pack. However, adding another boundary cornerback could make it an elite room. Even adding a nickel could be in play, as the former Michigan star proved he could play on the boundary as a rookie.
Drafting a safety or cornerback should be a necessity. There are several good prospects both early in the draft and further down the pecking order, so don't expect the current defensive back group to be the same heading into the season.
Running back
As much as fans love Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler, the running back position needs to be addressed in the draft. There were too many times when the ground game just disappeared in games. This did not keep opposing defenses honest and made life harder on rookie sensation Jayden Daniels.
Luckily, this is a deep draft class. The likes of Ashton Jeanty and Omarion Hampton might be out of reach, but several prospects on Day 2 could prove valuable for the Commanders.
If Hampton falls to No. 29, Peters should be all over that. However, prospects like Quinshon Judkins, Kaleb Johnson, TreVeyon Henderson, and Cam Skattebo would be excellent additions.
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