Ranking every Commanders' 2023 draft pick ahead of rookie minicamp
By Glen Rorie
Braeden Daniels - Commanders OL
What makes Braeden Daniels an interesting pickup for the Washington Commanders is his ability to play guard and tackle. He has played left guard, left tackle, and right tackle during his tenure at Utah.
The reason Daniels is low on this list is that he is mostly a high-level depth pick. With the Utes, he was First-Team All-Pac-12 (2022) and Second-Team All-Pac-12 (2021), but his position versatility is something that obviously attracted him to head coach Ron Rivera.
The talent is there for him. But the Commanders signed multiple offensive linemen this offseason, which was absolutely necessary given how much the team struggled in this particular area of the field last time around.
Also, Daniels’s best role is left tackle, which complicates matters unless he transitions to the interior. Charles Leno Jr. is the current starter and is a team captain, which makes him an absolute lock to start on Washington's blindside once again unless injury strikes.
Watching how the Commanders handle Daniels' development and where he's best suited is something to monitor. But not closely for the time being unless something drastic occurs in the weeks and months ahead.