Prospects the Commanders could draft if available
Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College)
Dovovan Ezeiruaku is a dynamic pass rusher. Pro Football Focus has him rated as the fourth-best edge prospect, ahead of Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton.
At 6-foot-2 and 248 pounds, Ezeiruaku is undersized by current edge standards, but his athletic scores are outstanding. Despite his shorter stature, the Boston College prospect has very long arms, which generally benefit pass rushers.
His speed and burst scores are at the top of the class. Ezeiruaku's 3 Cone Drill — one of the best markers for an outside pass rusher — is excellent.
Mykel Williams (Georgia)
Mykel Williams is a defensive end prototype. He is 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds with exceptional power and good agility.
Williams filled multiple roles on an elite defensive unit at Georgia. He is among the most complete edges available. Though he has not been a dominant pass rusher in college, he has shown a lot of promise.
It's worth remembering that Williams is just 20 years old. His run defense is among the best of any edge prospect in this class. He'll be considered, but there's also a good chance the player will be long gone by the time Washington goes on the clock.
Landon Jackson (Arkansas)
Landon Jackson's profile is very similar to Williams. He is a bit bigger at 6-foot-6 and 264 pounds but has equally impressive agility and burst.
Jackson's jumps — vertical and broad — are in elite territory. That usually suggests a player who generates great speed and power in his first step.
Some scouts question whether Jackson will ever develop into an above-average pass rusher. But like Williams, he is a real stalwart against the run.
Looking at how the Commanders struggled to stop the run last season, it's an option to consider.
Princely Umanmielen (Ole Miss)
Princely Umanmielen profiles very much like Donovan Ezeiruaku. He is a smaller edge who might be best suited to play outside linebacker.
At 6-foot-4 and 244 pounds, Umanmielen doesn’t have the same bulk to set the edge or bull-rush NFL tackles. What he offers is an outstanding array of pass-rush moves.
Umanmielen has long arms and powerful legs. He shows tremendous speed off the ball and was often able to simply outrun SEC tackles and bend the edge to reach the quarterback. But he also showed dip moves and spins to constantly keep blockers off balance.
He is among the best pure pass rushers in the draft.
Jack Sawyer (Ohio State)
Jack Sawyer has good size and the strength to be a very effective run-stopping defensive end. His relative lack of length — 6-foot-4 and 260 pounds with very short arms by NFL standards — has some questioning how disruptive a pass rusher he can be.
But the Ohio State product has been very productive at one of the elite programs in the college ranks. Sawyer was elected as a captain of the college football national champions last season, which speaks to his leadership skills.