With most of the premier free agents being scooped up, the Washington Commanders are slowly turning their attention to the 2025 NFL Draft. Adam Peters made an imposing start to his offseason recruitment, but there is a lot of hard work ahead.
Peters made some splash trades with Deebo Samuel Sr. and Laremy Tunsil coming into the mix. He did not acquire many free agents, and the ones he did were mostly on short-term deals.
Tunsil and Samuel both came over for values compared to their talent. Outside of that, there was not too much free agency noise for the Commanders.
Key players such as Bobby Wagner and Zach Ertz were re-signed to new contracts to keep most of the 2024 team intact. Peters also focused on the defense with free agent signings, bringing in veterans like Javon Kinlaw, Will Harris, and Jonathan Jones.
Even with the additions on the defensive side of the ball, this unit still has a long way to go before it is complete. The Commanders now hold five picks in the 2025 NFL Draft after offseason trades. That's the best way to add explosiveness through long-term upside.
Commanders choose promising cornerback in Daniel Jeremiah's latest mock draft
Daniel Jeremiah from the NFL Network released his third mock draft of the offseason recently. The respected analyst had the Commanders taking cornerback Azareye'h Thomas out of Florida State at No. 29 overall.
Thomas has excellent size for an NFL cornerback, weighing in at 6-foot-2 and 197 pounds. He was one of the few bright spots on a lackluster Seminoles team in 2024 and boasts the prototypical build Dan Quinn typically looks for in his defensive backs.
The All-ACC Honorable Mention racked up 50 tackles, one interception, and five pass breakups during the 2024 campaign. Thomas only allowed 17 receptions for 141 receiving yards and zero touchdowns on 33 targets. This incredible season earned him a 76.5 overall grade from Pro Football Focus.
Boundary cornerback is the role that Thomas will be best suited for in the NFL. This is where he played and thrived throughout his college career, which would allow Mike Sainristil to slide back into the nickel with Marshon Lattimore and Thomas being the primary sideline options.
In this case, the Commanders' cornerback room would be deep. Jones would be an experienced presence if Thomas fluffed his lines. Noah Igbinoghene represents great depth.
Thomas has arguably the best tape among all cornerbacks in the class. He doesn't show a real weakness in coverage and is elite at moving receivers off their spots in press situations. He can recognize and then mirror routes at an outstanding rate. This is easily transferable to the professional ranks.
The former Niceville High School standout's only real weakness is his acceleration after the break. Thomas is not an extremely fast sprinter. However, he makes this up with his twitchiness and ability to close passing windows.
Drafting Thomas at No. 29 could put the Commanders' cornerback room among the NFL's best. This is also a good environment for any young defensive back to learn, grow, and emerge as an influential piece of the puzzle.
Just ask Sainristil.
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