Adam Peters doesn't have much in the way of valuable capital during the 2025 NFL Draft. Spending his five picks wisely will go a long way to helping the Washington Commanders maintain the high standards set last season.
Peters would like to have more selections. The Commanders could accomplish this by moving back at some stage. If one of the quarterbacks — Jalen Milroe, Jaxson Dart, or Tyler Slough — is still there, the front-office leader could exploit this by extracting maximum value to shift back and bolster his assets for later in the process.
That's arguably the best-case scenario. This isn't a draft class loaded with elite-level talent. However, it is rich with potentially solid contributors who could carve out successful careers for themselves.
Washington has needs to fill. Peters was relatively quiet in free agency, opting to allocate his big splashes for the trade market. That leaves the Commanders short in some areas, but there is a long way to go before Week 1 rolls around.
Commanders bet on Shemar Stewart's upside in Mel Kiper Jr.'s mock draft
Mel Kiper Jr. from ESPN went a long way to solving the Commanders' needs in his latest two-round mock draft. This began with Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart, who's a polarizing prospect but could be the ideal replacement for Dante Fowler Jr. with a smooth transition.
"[Shemar] Stewart's draft stock is hard to predict. As I mentioned earlier, I considered him for Cincinnati at No. 17. He comes off the board here, 12 spots later. It's the same dilemma that GMs will be struggling with on draft night. Stewart has all the talent in the world -- speed, explosiveness and power. But he also had 4.5 sacks over three seasons. If an NFL coaching staff can help him put it all together, the upside is immense."Mel Kiper Jr.
Stewart is the stereotypical example of teams banking on athletic upside over college production. His measurements are absolutely off the charts, but things didn't quite come together on the Aggies for one reason or another.
Peters has to figure out why. His run defense is first-class and represents a solid foundation from which to build. Stewart is a raw pass-rusher, so adding more moves to his arsenal with some added technical refinement should see improvements arrive quickly.
Kiper mocked cornerback Darien Porter to Washington in the second round. The analyst believes that Peters' veteran additions to the unit should allow the Iowa State graduate time to develop into a potential starter somewhere down the line.
Nothing should be completely dismissed right now. The Commanders have enough flexibility to pivot accordingly, and Peters is always looking to take the best prospect available regardless of need. It'll be a waiting game from No. 29 overall, so having a contingency plan for every possible scenario that might come up is guaranteed.
Stewart might be long gone by the time Washington goes on the clock. The same goes for Porter, who's gaining momentum at the right time. Regardless of which prospects come into the fold, fans have faith that Peters' shrewd personnel evaluations can put the Commanders in position for another bold playoff bid in 2025.
Anything less represents a step back after the team's miracle run last time around.