Cornerback, edge-rusher, and running back loom large as pressing needs the Washington Commanders can fix in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft. None of those positions is as worthy of the No. 29 overall pick as wide receiver.
Taking a wideout in Round No. 1 would be drafting to a strength, but it makes the most sense for general manager Adam Peters. He can justify stacking talent on top of talent for a few compelling reasons, most of them to do with the development of second-year franchise quarterback Jayden Daniels.
The latter's sensational rookie campaign took the Commanders from rebuilding also-rans to one game short of the Super Bowl in an instant. Daniels rewrote the rule book for what's expected of a rookie passer, but he won't catch pro defenses by surprise again.
Whisper it, but there's a hidden concern about the Commanders' prospects of staying competitive in 2025. The underlying worry is that Daniels will experience the proverbial sophomore slump.
Commanders must do everything to ensure Jayden Daniels' sensational start continues
That prospect has already been spelled out by an unnamed league executive, speaking to Mike Sando of The Athletic:
"I’m afraid that is the team that is going to have the quarterback hit the sophomore slump, and now you have invested in all these older guys and you are not really building a team anymore, you are just adding pieces. At some point, you get diminishing returns with all those old guys"Anonymous NFL executive
Don't be too quick to dismiss the anonymous executive as a mere hater. Every NFL defensive coordinator has a full set of intel on Daniels now, and he wouldn't be the first dual-threat quarterback to follow a spectacular debut campaign with a modest encore.
What's the best way to mitigate the Daniels problem? The Commanders have options, like trusting his arm talent, maturity, and smarts to adapt to a more nuanced workload based on greater pre-snap responsibilities.
Even if he can, Daniels also has issues with his mechanics to clean up. One particular issue was on the mind of head coach Dan Quinn at the annual league meetings, according to ESPN's John Keim:
"At the owners meetings, Quinn said they want Daniels to keep improving his footwork -- positioning his body even better on where to throw the ball. Quinn said they liked how Daniels started to extend plays in order to throw the ball and not just run. But, Quinn said, footwork remains a key to continued growth."John Keim
Daniels has work to do to refine his game as a passer. The 24-year-old has a better chance of making his second year count with an elite supporting cast around him.
Drafting a receiver protects Commanders' prized asset
The future of the Commanders is tied directly to how Daniels develops. The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year needs as many quality targets as he can get, despite the presence of All-Pro wideout Deebo Samuel and perennial 1,000-yarder Terry McLaurin.
Daniels didn't need Samuel last season. Not when he still found success targeting journeymen like Olamide Zaccheaus and Jamison Crowder. Neither are currently around.
There's a mistaken assumption about a good quarterback lifting all of those around him. It happens, but the elite still play their best football with superior weapons at their disposal.
Tom Brady took the largest strides in his development when the New England Patriots gave him better receivers. When they drafted Deion Branch in 2002. When they signed Wes Welker and Randy Moss in 2007. When they paired Danny Amendola with Julian Edelman in 2014.
Peters did right by Daniels in the same way when he traded for Samuel this offseason. He is a physical force who can attack defenses in multiple ways. He's also 29 years old, carries a lengthy injury history and a hefty contract worth $17.5 million.
A contract extension is an option, but surely not one to consider seriously until Samuel proves he can still match the production that made him an All-Pro in 2021. He hasn't come close to the 1,405 receiving yards and 365 on the deck he managed that year.
Acquiring some Samuel insurance would be a smart move in this draft. Missouri's Luther Burden III fits the bill as the same type of roving weapon.
Burden would be that marquee third receiver the Commanders lack. Even after Peters brought back Noah Brown and added fellow ex-Dallas Cowboys pass-catcher Michael Gallup in free agency.
One drawback to leaning on two receivers like Samuel and Burden is how their versatility may cancel each other out. A prospect with more specific skills, like Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka, would be the true slot specialist Daniels needs as an outlet for quick reads and quarterback-friendly throws underneath.
Egbuka is a natural complement for perimeter playmaker McLaurin, who is also in line for a new contract and a bumper payday. Before then, the Commanders could instead opt to replace vertical threat Dyami Brown. He became a playoff hero thanks to straight-line speed best used on go routes that earned Brown a sweet deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Fortunately, those same routes are also the niche of Texas receiver Matthew Golden. He's a true burner whose turbocharged way of attacking coverage would match Daniels' preternatural arm strength.
The Commanders don't have a receiver with Golden's attributes. Just like they don't have a wideout with the size of 6-foot-4, 219-pound Tetairoa McMillan. A size and muscle mismatch like the former Wildcats star would give Daniels bigger and easier throwing windows.
Perhaps McMillan and Golden are long gone by the time the Commanders make their first pick, but this is a receiver class deep enough to address the position before the second round.
Peters might see it as greedy to use first-round capital with Samuel and McLaurin already on the roster, but their futures are less than certain beyond this year. This pick would also be more about Daniels.
Putting a first-round talent next to McLaurin and Samuel would be similar to when the Miami Dolphins had the 'Marks Brothers', Clayton and Duper, along with Pro Bowler Nat Moore around Dan Marino in 1984.
Daniels avoiding a second-year swoon for something akin to Marino's 5,084-yard sophomore effort has to be worth Peters foregoing a more obvious pick in Round No. 1.