Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, the Washington Commanders find themselves in unfamiliar territory. The success of the 2024 season landed them at the back end of the first round, a position they have not been in for several decades.
Over the past 30 years, the Commanders have either been picking in the early or middle part of Round No. 1. That's now changed, and adjustments are needed.
The only exceptions have been the years in which they have made trades, either moving up to acquire a second pick late in the round (as with Montez Sweat in 2019) or giving up their native first-rounder in exchange for other assets (as with Robert Griffin III in 2012).
To find a year in which Washington made a selection within a few picks of this year’s No. 29 spot, you have to go back to 2002. They chose Patrick Ramsey at No. 32 overall.
That makes predicting the pick much harder than it has been of late. Everyone knew Washington was taking Chase Young and Jayden Daniels. By draft day in 2021, anyone who was paying attention had Washington taking Jamin Davis. The trade-back in 2022 and the bewildering selection of Emmanuel Forbes in 2023 surprised a lot of fans and analysts alike.
How good a guess can we make in 2025?
Draft boards are in a constant state of flux as pro days and interviews wrap up. Prospects are rising and falling. It’s impossible to know who will still be on the board at No. 29 — or even if the Commanders will hold onto the pick.
Still, we’ll try. We’ll do it by looking at positions of need, eliminating the players who are likely to be off the board by the time Adam Peters makes his first choice, and then running through the pros and cons of the remaining prospects.
Today, we’ll begin with one of the commonly accepted positions of need — edge rusher.
Realistic edge-rushing prospects the Commanders could draft in 2025
The edge-rushing position
Edge is a relatively new designation in football nomenclature.
Not long ago, there were defensive ends and there were outside linebackers. Depending on alignment and the physical tools of each player, they would be tasked with rushing the quarterback on passing downs and setting the edge against the run.
Much of that distinction has faded over time as teams use more hybrid-style defenses. Consequently, measurables with edge rushers often vary depending on the schematic concepts.
Last season, the Commanders employed Dorance Armstrong Jr., Dante Fowler Jr., Clelin Ferrell, and Javontae Jean-Baptiste as their primary edge defenders. Linebacker Frankie Luvu and safety Jeremy Chinn occasionally lined up on the edge as well. Deep depth came from the likes of Efe Obada and Jalyn Holmes.
The Commanders did not possess a dynamic pass rush. Now that Fowler has departed, finding a quality edge who can rush and defend the run is considered a priority.
Apart from signing journeyman Jacob Martin and re-signing a few players from last year, Adam Peters did not make a big move. That failure may suggest the general manager intends to find help in the draft, and there is a deep supply of talented prospects who will be available.