5 dream 2024 NFL Draft prospects the Commanders should trade up for
By Dean Jones
It's hard to articulate just how important the 2024 NFL Draft is for everyone associated with the Washington Commanders. There's a level of excitement and hope that hasn't been seen for decades. General manager Adam Peters made an imposing start to life in the role, installing a newfound sense of professionalism and purpose in pursuit of turning things around.
If Peters and his staff can navigate the draft successfully, it'll do wonders for their ambitious project. All signs point to the Commanders taking a quarterback at No. 2 overall. After that, they have eight other picks - five of those are in the top 100.
This increases the freedom to make additional moves up or down the order as Peters sees fit. While trading back to acquire more assets cannot be dismissed, there's also the possibility of Washington's surging back into the first round to land one of their preferred targets.
The benefits of having two first-round picks with a fifth-year option attached are there for all to see. With this in mind, here are five dream NFL Draft prospects the Commanders should consider going up for when the big night arrives.
Commanders could draft Quinyon Mitchell
- Cornerback
- Toledo Rockets
There will be a recurring theme for the remainder of this topic. However, if the Washington Commanders want to go down an alternative route, then fortifying their cornerback unit with a legitimate shutdown presence wouldn't be the worst idea in the world.
Quinyon Mitchell is arguably the most talented coverage cornerback in this year's class. He is extremely athletic, boasting elite-level field vision and anticipation to mirror routes at all three levels of the field. This is matched by NFL-ready ball skills capable of breaking up passes or attaining interceptions at will.
Mitchell's short-area quickness allows him to close space quickly. There are very few flaws in the Toledo prospect's game - although his backpedal does need a little refinement going up against more dominant wide receivers at the next level.
Despite the player's incredible skill set, it's highly unlikely Adam Peters would sacrifice additional draft assets to go up for a cornerback. Especially considering Dan Quinn and Joe Whitt Jr.'s prowess for turning prospects picked later into highly productive performers within their dynamic scheme.