The Washington Commanders only have five selections in the 2025 NFL Draft after a flurry of trade activity during the offseason. Adam Peters would like that to change given his ethos to build through the college ranks long term.
Peters felt trading for left tackle Laremy Tunsil and wide receiver Deebo Samuel Sr. were opportunities he couldn't turn down. The Commanders are pushing their chips into the middle in pursuit of maximizing quarterback Jayden Daniels' rookie contract before things much more expensive. If that meant a slight detour from the original plan, so be it.
The front-office leader will be looking to trade down for more assets at some stage. Peters is a renowned wheeler and dealer if the right opportunities come along. One recent scenario saw the Commanders take advantage of quarterback desperation elsewhere to acquire additional assets.
Commanders strike deal with quarterback-needy Browns in 2025 NFL mock draft
Ben Rolfe from Pro Football Network had the Commanders trading out of the first round in his latest mock draft. A deal was struck with the Cleveland Browns, who moved up slightly to secure Ole Miss signal-caller Jaxson Dart. This earned Washington two extra picks for its trouble.
Washington Commanders
Cleveland BrownsRolfe thought the Commanders could trade down again given the interest there could be in a prospect that falls out of the first round to kick off Day 2. Instead, Peters went with Marshall edge rusher Mike Green.
"The Commanders could trade back again in this situation as teams could look to grab their quarterback of the future. However, Mike Green is a high-upside option for them to consider. Green will split opinions because of the production vs. competition debate. The sack numbers are incredibly impressive, and the traits are there for it to transfer into the NFL. However, he may also need to develop elements of his game and his frame to have success at the NFL level. The Commanders need a disruptor at EDGE, and Green certainly offers that potential."Ben Rolfe
Green has some character concerns that he's been open about. Even so, this could potentially hurt his stock when push comes to shove despite the obvious talent at his disposal.
The pass-rusher came of age last season. Green was a relentless force coming off the edge en route to 17 sacks and 23 tackles for loss. His explosiveness and power at the contact point, coupled with outstanding hand placement and bend, made him an almost impossible proposition to stop in the Sun Belt Conference.
This looks like the sort of prospect well-suited to Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr.'s schematic concepts. He's versatile, intelligent, and fast. That makes Green the perfect replacement for Dante Fowler Jr., who departed in free agency for the Dallas Cowboys.
Peters selected safety Lathan Ransom and cornerback Isas Waxter with the two picks acquired in the trade. That provides some much-needed secondary depth, but this is all about extracting the correct value from any move down the order.
It'll be fascinating to see how the Commanders approach matters. But fans are confident Peters will make the moves needed to make Washington stronger.