10 prospects Commanders should avoid in the 2024 NFL Draft

Commanders should avoid Jonah Elliss

• Edge Rusher | Utah Utes

Everything I just said about Kris Abrams-Draine applies to Jonah Elliss. He just plays a different position.

He is an undersized edge rusher who was highly productive in college but simply lacks the elite athleticism to overcome his size issues in the pros. Elliss is also commonly projected as a third-rounder. I wouldn’t consider him before the fifth.

Elliss reminds me of the recently released Shaka Toney, who never made a mark with the Washington Commanders after being selected in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The Utah prospect projects to be a better player in the pros. There is also no indication of the off-the-field baggage.

Still, I don’t think Toney ever would have been more than a marginal presence in the NFL. I worry the same is true of Elliss.

Commanders should avoid Beaux Limmer

• Center | Arkansas Razorbacks

Every year, it seems the SEC cranks out interior linemen who enter the league as mid-round draft picks and never develop into steady professionals. Beaux Limmer is a versatile player who moved from guard to center in 2023 and performed well against good competition. But I worry about tall, thin-framed interior linemen.

Limmer may be able to add some bulk to his 6-foot-5, 300-pound frame, but he is not an overpowering presence at either guard or center. Besides, the Commanders already have a Razorback center on the roster.

Let’s see what the Commanders have in Ricky Stromberg - the man from whom Limmer inherited the center position at Arkansas - before going hog-wild again.

Commanders should avoid Roger Rosengarten

• Offensive Tackle | Washington Huskies

Roger Rosengarten reportedly had an excellent pro day, which had many in the Washington Huskies press corps elevating from his typical third-round projection into the first. It's okay, that's their job.

I’d be skeptical of Rosengarten even in the third or fourth round, especially when there are a lot of bigger, stronger offensive tackles out there. He has skills, along with an athletic profile that is bound to intrigue scouts. I just worry about one number. 20 bench press reps.

Back in 2018, Washington fell in love with a similarly athletic tackle prospect in Geron Christian Sr. They took him in the third round of the draft. They kept giving him shots to take over the starting job. He simply wasn’t strong enough to handle the responsibility.

Like Rosengarten, he had a disturbingly low bench press number. Christian has bounced around the league as a backup ever since. The 2024 prospect may have the technique to overcome this issue, but there are better bets at tackle this year.