Commanders could draft Quincy Riley
- Cornerback | Louisville Cardinals
Quincy Riley is a former three-sport athlete in high school, which shows in his athleticism on the field. He originally played at Middle Tennessee State before transferring to a bigger football school in Louisville. This helped bolster his draft stock considerably.
The Washington Commanders brought Riley in on a pre-draft '30' visit, showing their interest in him. He's a bit smaller, standing at 5-foot-11 and weighing 194 pounds. This size can be a negative in his game, making tackling a bit tougher in a competitive setting.
However, he can make up for this with his physicality. When playing press coverage, Riley is extremely confident and physical. He can also excel in both man and zone schemes with minimal fuss.
Riley finished his 2024 season with 32 tackles, three interceptions, and nine pass deflections. He allowed 31 receptions for 447 receiving yards and three touchdowns on 65 targets. This earned the defensive back a creditable 62.4 grade from Pro Football Focus.
The Commanders need better depth with someone who could become a starter. After Marshon Lattimore and Mike Sainristil, it is just rotational players like Jonathan Jones and Noah Igbinoghene in the cornerback unit.
Commanders could draft Trevor Etienne
- Running Back | Georgia Bulldogs
One of the Commanders' needs that isn't talked about nearly enough is the running back position. More than anything, the offense needs a backfield threat who can play on all three downs.
It will be tough to get that on Day 3, but just adding some more competition into the position group would be beneficial.
The name Etienne is well-known in the NFL, as former first-round pick Travis Etienne is the starting running back for the Jacksonville Jaguars. His younger brother, Trevor Etienne, isn't exactly a first-round prospect, but he is still a fine player.
Etienne finished his 2024 season with 603 rushing yards and nine touchdowns on 122 attempts. This included 419 yards after contact.
The back out of Georgia won't be an every-down presence due to his smaller frame at 5-foot-9 and 205 pounds. This hurts him in pass protection especially.
However, Etienne should be a good complementary back in the NFL. He displays elite explosiveness combined with sharp cuts. Even with a smaller frame, he shows good physicality and contact balance.
Etienne had little receiving production in college, finishing 2024 with just 33 receptions for 194 yards on 34 targets. He did show great receiving upside in the Senior Bowl, though. Teams will be looking to develop that into something more.
The prospect will likely fit best in a zone scheme, as he had an 88.1 zone grade from Pro Football Focus.