Commanders must find an upgrade at running back
Austin Ekeler's still around to continue his skilled all-rounder act. He'll be ably supported by returning journeyman Jeremy McNichols, who was a pleasant surprise last season.
So far, so good. But what's missing from the Washington Commanders' picture at running back?
Simple. A marquee workhorse able to beat defenses on the ground and through the air. A running back sure to give defensive coordinators sleepless nights.
Try as he might, Brian Robinson Jr. isn't one of those. He's a solid grinder with above-average versatility, but there's nothing elite about his game.
Pairing an elite running back with Jayden Daniels' dual-threat skill set puts every defense the Commanders face into a bind. Opponents would be playing an unenviable guessing game about who to focus on, and who to game-plan for on every play.
The possibilities from this combination are endless and also worth first-round market value. Those who would wince at the idea of using a first-round pick on a running back should consider the 2024 season as a teaching tool.
Saquon Barkley's 2,000-yard super show won the Philadelphia Eagles a championship. Derrick Henry was the missing ingredient Lamar Jackson needed to make the Baltimore Ravens the most explosive offense in football.
Running backs are in vogue again. It's not a dying position, but the value depends on the level of talent.
Finding a Barkley or Henry isn't easy, but this draft haul offers rich pickings. Somebody like North Carolina's Omarion Hampton fits the bill as a durable bruiser with more overwhelming power and after-contact potential than Robinson.
The same is true of Quinshon Judkins. His battering-ram running style gave Ohio State a genuine smash-mouth edge en route to the national title.
Hampton and Judkins can bludgeon defenses and be the brute-force complement to Daniels' breakaway speed. That's a potent mix, but the sudden acceleration and big-play flair of TreVeyon Henderson is hard to ignore.
Those still tethered to more conventional draft practices could count on the Commanders finding value in Round 4. Productive backs like Devin Neal, who topped 1,000 rushing yards three times for the Kansas Jayhawks, along with Georgia's Trevor Etienne, ought to be available in the 100s.
Etienne would be a value pick as a sort of deluxe Ekeler. A running back with wide receiver-type skills and a true one-cut-and-go runner who fits what the Commanders have been doing with their rushing attack.
Running back is a sneaky pressing need this offseason. Using the draft to fix the problem would grant Peters the freedom to trade Robinson, or else field a deeper more flexible rushing committee.