When an NFL team goes 4-13, it’s safe to say that few roster spots are secure. When there is new ownership, new management, and a new coaching regime, the situation is even more tenuous. As the Washington Commanders entered the 2024 off-season, it seemed likely that Terry McLaurin and Sam Cosmi were the only two players guaranteed to be on the roster when the new campaign began.
General manager Adam Peters has already jettisoned about half of last year’s starters. They include some of 2023's best players - Kendall Fuller and Kamren Curl - and some who struggled, such as Saahdiq Charles and Cody Barton.
Some were cut outright - Logan Thomas and Charles Leno Jr. - while others were free agents who never entered into serious negotiations to remain - Antonio Gibson and Curtis Samuel. Regardless of how or why they departed, Peters was left with a lot of holes to fill.
He began that process during free agency and will continue it in the upcoming draft. Some positions - namely, linebacker - got major overhauls. Others, defensive end and tight end, saw veteran replacements signed to make up for the departures.
Even so, the Commanders still have several major holes. They may have players penciled in as starters right now, but Peters will be looking to upgrade those positions with the substantial draft capital he has to work with.
Though most general managers tilt toward selecting the best player available when their pick comes, the team's needs must figure in on some level. Therefore, though Peters probably won't pass on a high-value prospect simply because he may have more immediate needs elsewhere, the following five positions will be high on his to-do list.
Here are five positions the Commanders must find starting-caliber prospects during the 2024 NFL Draft.
Commanders must find a quarterback
This is a no-brainer.
Adam Peters chose to trade away Sam Howell, making the selection of a quarterback in this year’s draft a virtual lock. Most analysts assume that will arrive with the No. 2 overall pick and will be Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, or perhaps J.J. McCarthy. That’s certainly what the consensus seems to suggest.
Regardless of who is eventually chosen, everyone will expect him to be the starter sooner rather than later. But there is a level of caution attached.
Whichever quarterback Washington chooses, he does not necessarily have to start Week 1. Marcus Mariota is a competent professional. He isn’t an especially good one, but his career record as a starter is about 47 percent, which is slightly better than Taylor Heinicke's.
The point is, if Dan Quinn, Kliff Kingsbury, and Tavita Pritchard decide that the new quarterback - let’s say Maye for variety’s sake - would benefit from sitting on the bench for half a season or more, so be it. Fans will need to trust in their wisdom and root for Mariota.
The Commanders need to find a starting quarterback in this draft, but he doesn’t need to be their starter right out of the gate.
Commanders must find a wide receiver
Jahan Dotson’s subpar 2023 season is a cause for great concern. Whether his performance was due to skill, scheme, or some other unknown reason scarcely matters. He was supposed to emerge as a potent complement to Terry McLaurin and didn’t. His reclamation is essential in 2024.
Even if Dotson has a strong bounce-back year, the Washington Commanders need another weapon at wide receiver, either in the slot or lining up opposite McLaurin at the Z position. This is the role that Curtis Samuel filled last season when he was the second-best wideout on the team.
Washington will likely be running three-wideouts packages frequently in 2024. As the roster stands now, either Jamison Crowder or Olamide Zaccheus would be playing this role. Both are serviceable veterans but neither will scare a defense.
If all goes to plan, Dotson will play well this year. Crowder, Zaccheus, and a youngster like Mitchell Tinsley provide quality depth, and a rookie makes an impact as the No. 3 option.
It might be a small, lightning-fast slot player like Arizona’s Jacob Cowing or a giant target like Florida State’s Johnny Wilson. It might be anyone in between. Fortunately, this is a deep draft for receivers and the Commanders should be taking one somewhere in the middle rounds.
Commanders must find a left tackle
The offensive line was a weak link in 2023. Adam Peters has begun his rebuild by signing a couple of young veterans to start in the middle. Tyler Biadasz will play center and Nick Allegretti will get a long look at left guard. They will be replacing Nick Gates and Saahdiq Charles.
Peters also released veteran left tackle Charles Leno Jr., who had manned that crucial spot since 2021 and had been Washington’s steadiest lineman during that time. Another veteran, Cornelius Lucas, is currently penciled in to assume the starting job.
Lucas has done this before. In 2020, his insertion into the lineup in place of the ineffective Geron Christian helped turn the season around. But that was four years ago. He will be 33 years old when the 2024 season begins and his mobility has never been great. He remains an adequate pass blocker on the left side, but he will struggle with speed and will limit the running game if he has to play a lot.
Behind him, Trent Scott is a journeyman depth piece. Everyone else is young and utterly unproven.
The Commanders need a quality, young left tackle almost as much as it needs a quarterback. Fortunately, as with receivers, there are a lot of talented prospects at offensive tackle in this year’s draft. Prospects like Tyler Guyton and Jordan Morgan could well be on the board when Washington picks in the second round.
Commanders must find a cornerback
This one is painful. Last year was a very strong one for cornerbacks in the draft. The Washington Commanders took one - Emmanuel Forbes - with the No. 16 pick. He did not perform well as a rookie.
Another recent high draft pick - Benjamin St-Juste - also struggled. With the free agency departure of Kendall Fuller, the team's best corner last year, they are desperately short of reliable starters.
Second-round pick Quan Martin’s future could be at safety, so the Commanders need at least one more player who can either replace Forbes or St-Juste should they struggle, or at the very least develop into a reliable slot corner. The team currently has a lot of bodies - holdovers like Christian Holmes and Tariq Castro-Fields - along with three newly signed veteran free agents. None of them inspire much confidence should they be asked to play major reps.
Defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. has worked miracles with defensive backs in his last few stops. Hopefully, he can do the same with Forbes and St-Juste, but that doesn’t appear to be the best bet right now.
It would not be surprising to see Washington invest the No. 40 overall pick in a high-end prospect like Iowa State’s T.J. Tampa or Michigan’s tough Mike Sainristill.
Commanders must find a kick returner
NFL teams have been able to ignore the kickoff return position for several seasons now. However, with the recently adopted rules governing the kickoff, it will likely make a pronounced reappearance this season.
The Commanders used Jamison Crowder as its punt returner in 2023. He will provide a steady, unspectacular presence on the punt team should he be tasked with the job again.
Crowder does not return kickoffs. The fact is, not many veterans in the NFL do because the play has been virtually legislated out of the NFL game. It still exists at the college level, and the Commanders should be looking for someone who can add a dynamic threat to the squad.
Practice squad player Kazmeir Allen might get a look here. But there will be players in the draft who could immediately improve the kickoff return game while being developed to take on a bigger role on offense in the coming years.
Clemson running back Will Shipley may be the most intriguing prospect who could be available on Day 3 of the draft. Virginia wide receiver Malik Washington could also play in the slot on offense while providing a threat as a kickoff returner.
Adam Peters is not going to pass on a talented edge rusher or tight end if one is available early in the draft. He will be looking to add more than just one offensive lineman as well. But he goes into this draft knowing he has reasonable options already in place at those other positions.
These five positions don’t have to be the first five he addresses. That said, Peters does have to find quality, starting-caliber prospects for these roles regardless of when he selects them.