Adam Peters has the fate of an entire franchise in the palm of his hand. And there is nobody the Washington Commanders or its rejuvenated fanbase would want to lead the charge.
Peters' first year with the Commanders went better than anticipated. Gutting two-thirds of the roster was a calculated risk. He found the right blend of youth and experience, which became a recipe for success. Washington won 12 regular-season games and made it to the NFC Championship before falling short against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The future is incredibly bright. Peters is armed with significant financial resources to strengthen the ranks this offseason. He's also got seven selections during the 2025 NFL Draft to find instant difference-makers and enhance depth.
Washington found a franchise quarterback, a cornerstone cornerback, two long-term starters in the trenches, and some intriguing development pieces in Peters' first college selection process. This helped kickstart the Commanders' rebuild, so anything similar this time around is only going to help.
Using the Pro Football Network simulator, we took a look at how the Commanders might use their picks in our latest seven-round mock draft with the NFL Scouting Combine on the immediate horizon.
Commanders 7-round 2025 mock draft before the NFL Scouting Combine
Commanders draft Josh Simmons
- Offensive Tackle | Ohio State Buckeyes
- Round No. 1 | Pick No. 29
This is a lot lower than Washington Commanders fans are used to picking. Adam Peters will be watching developments unfold in front of him with keen interest. Trading up or down cannot be dismissed. There's also the possibility of sacrificing the selection in pursuit of securing Myles Garrett via trade from the Cleveland Browns.
Nothing should be off the table right now. If someone like Josh Simmons fell through the cracks, it represents a high-risk, high-reward option for the Commanders at the bottom end of the first round.
From a talent perspective, Simmons is one of the best offensive tackles in this class. He's an exceptional pass protector with enough strength to hold his base on running plays and even help at the second level when needed. Unfortunately for the Ohio State prospect, there is one major red flag that could hurt his stock.
Simmons' campaign in 2024 ended ahead of time with a serious knee injury. He is expected to be cleared for the start of training camp and his representative Drew Rosenhaus expects him to go much higher than this. That is largely dependent on the medical assessments teams will undertake during the assessment process.
The Commanders cannot settle at the offensive tackle spots this offseason. If Simmons made it this far down the pecking order, it would be hard for Peters to turn down.