Commanders 7-round 2024 NFL mock draft: Pre-combine edition

Commanders draft Blake Watson

The Washington Commanders have a difficult decision to make with Antonio Gibson this offseason. The running back looks like a tremendous scheme fit for Kliff Kingsbury's offense despite losing the No. 1 spot to Brian Robinson Jr. That said, giving players at the position second contracts unless they are in the upper echelons statistic-wise isn't a common trend around the NFL.

If the Commanders opt to let Gibson take his chances elsewhere, they'll need to find another option to go alongside Robinson and Chris Rodriguez Jr. That won't be cheap in free agency. Therefore, finding a potential diamond later in the 2024 NFL Draft could be worth its weight in gold.

Blake Watson might be exactly that. His transfer to Memphis in 2023 proved to be the making of him, gaining 1,632 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns during a phenomenal campaign.

Watson is a gifted runner - a rocket with the football in his hands. Blocking will be difficult for him in the pros unless his blitz pickup awareness increases, but Kingsbury should find ways to get him involved en route to potentially filling the void left by Gibson in this scenario.

The Commanders have a great chance to accelerate their rebuild with the resources available. If they came away from the draft with these nine prospects, that seems like a pretty good haul.