Commanders could draft Jaylin Smith
- Cornerback | USC Trojans
Having multiple targets at the cornerback position on Day 3 will be necessary, and taking more than one cornerback in the draft could be a possibility for the Washington Commanders.
Jaylin Smith has a smaller frame, standing at 5-foot-10 and 187 pounds. This will likely relegate him to the slot in the NFL. Although he played very well being on the boundary for the majority of 2024, posting an 82.5 coverage grade and 83.9 man coverage grade from Pro Football Focus.
Smith allowed just 26 receptions for 289 receiving yards and zero touchdowns on 42 targets to go along with two interceptions. This is why the USC prospect would be a good fit for the Commanders' defense.
Fans saw how well Mike Sainristil adapted to the boundary in his rookie season, meaning Smith could slide right into the slot role. If he struggles there, Dan Quinn could experiment by switching the two players at some stage.
Smith also has versatility outside of just the boundary to the slot, having experience playing in the box and at deep safety in 2024, too. He is great at blitzing, is an excellent open-field tackler for his size, and is like a mirror in man coverage.
Commanders could draft Jay Higgins
- Linebacker | Iowa Hawkeyes
The Commanders are pretty set at linebacker in 2024 with their duo of Frankie Luvu and Bobby Wagner. However, Quinn would likely love to throw in some three-linebacker packages, and they need to think past 2025.
The good news for any linebacker that the Commanders take is that Wagner will be the perfect mentor for them. In Jay Higgins's situation, he has all the potential in the world to be a true three-down linebacker, and there's just about no better active veteran to steer him on the right path.
Higgins lacks the ideal size for an NFL linebacker, standing at 6-foot-0 and 224 pounds. Luckily, he is a sure tackler and has perfect technique. He finished 2024 with 112 tackles and missed just 9.7 percent of his attempts.
The Iowa prospect also shows amazing coverage skills, giving him the potential to play a role in the NFL as an off-ball coverage linebacker in nickel packages. Higgins posted a 91.5 coverage grade from Pro Football Focus, allowing only 27 receptions for 198 receiving yards and one touchdown on 36 targets. He also racked up four interceptions and a pass deflection.
Higgins plays with an extremely high motor and has a very high floor.