week

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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/nfl-rumors-insider-suggests-aggressive-patriots-trade-with-commanders');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: Insider suggests ‘aggressive’ Patriots trade with Commanders');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Commanders-GM-Adam-Peters_85920d.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL rumors: Insider suggests ‘aggressive’ Patriots trade with Commanders</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-18T11:01:21-07:00">April 18th, 11:01am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-18T11:01:21-07:00">April 18th, 11:01am</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">New England Patriots</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-rumors-washington-urged-most-aggressive-team-nfl-draft">Washington Commanders have been urged</a> to be aggressive in the draft. As for the Patriots, there seems to be <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/new-england-patriots/patriots-rumors-new-england-navigate-potential-worst-case-scenario-draft">a wide range of outcomes</a>. Those two things could meet in the middle, as an NFL insider suggested an aggressive trade between the Commanders and Patriots.</p><p>This doesn’t have anything to do with the first round. The Commanders at No. 29 are too far away from the Patriots’ No. 4 pick to move up. But they are much closer with the Patriots’ Round 2 pick at No. 38. Here’s what the ESPN braintrust suggested <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/insider/story/_/id/44687286/2025-nfl-draft-latest-buzz-rumors-news-sanders-saints-browns-predictions-trades" rel="noopener">for these teams</a>.</p><p>“The Washington Commanders trade Nos. 29 and 128 to the New England Patriots for Nos. 38 and 77,” Field Yates wrote. “A theme of this Patriots offseason has been aggressiveness, as they spent huge in free agency to address several needs. That could continue into the draft, especially if they can fill a critical need with a player late in Round 1.”</p><h2><b>Would Commanders GM Adam Peters be willing to move back?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Commanders-GM-Adam-Peters.jpg"><figcaption>Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This trade is baited well. The Commanders would move back nine spots, but move up 51 spots and into the third round — where they currently don’t have a pick.</p><p>It’s likely the Commanders, with only five picks overall, would test the Patriots’ resolve and also try to swap their seventh-round pick (245) for the Patriots’ last fifth-round pick (171).</p><p>But as it stands, the Commanders would likely have a shot to draft TreVeyon Henderson (Ohio St.) at No. 38. If he’s not there, they could select underrated receiver Jayden Higgins of Iowa State.</p><p>With the No. 77 pick, they could likely choose between Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison or Arizona interior offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea. Edge rusher Nic Scourton could still be on the board, too. In any case, they fill a big need with a promising young player that they otherwise would not have had a shot at getting.</p><p>What they would pass up is a premier cornerback in Maxwell Hairston (Kentucky), Trey Amos (Mississippi), or Azareye’h Thomas (Florida State). They also wouldn’t get edge rusher James Pearce Jr. (Tennessee) or Donovan Ezeiruaka (Boston College). Also, interior lineman Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) goes somewhere else.</p><p>With any of those six guys, they just get one. But Henderson combined with Morrison is better than just Hairston, and so forth.</p><p>As for the Patriots, assuming they landed Armand Membou or Will Campbell for their offensive line at pick No. 4, they could use the second first-round pick to get a playmaking wide receiver like Emeka Egbuka, whose projections range from mid-first round to mid-second round.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL rumors: Insider suggests ‘aggressive’ Patriots trade with Commanders

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-rumors-washington-urged-most-aggressive-team-nfl-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders rumors: Washington urged to be ‘most aggressive’ team in NFL Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jayden-Daniels.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Commanders rumors: Washington urged to be ‘most aggressive’ team in NFL Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-16T09:46:52-07:00">April 16th, 9:46am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-16T09:46:52-07:00">April 16th, 9:46am</time><address><a>Malik Brown</a>Malik Brown is a multimedia reporter based in Atlanta who covers the Hawks and Dream for ClutchPoints. Malik has worked in entertainment and sports, and he specializes in the NBA and NFL.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Commanders had a breakout year last season, making it all the way to the NFC Championship Game. What was more impressive was that they did it with Jayden Daniels, a rookie quarterback in his first year in the league. The Commanders need to strike while the iron is hot, and that means making moves that will continue to help them improve. They’ve done so already in free agency, and now the next thing is to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/commanders-2025-nfl-mock-draft">do so in the NFL Draft</a>, where they have the 29th pick in the first round.</p><p>Around the league, people are hoping that the Commanders are <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/insider/story/_/id/44668889/2025-nfl-draft-32-teams-positions-picks-grades-predictions-needs">aggressive in the draft</a> so they can fill the holes that they need to in order to compete once again.</p><p>“If a highly rated receiver, offensive lineman or defensive tackle does fall into the Commanders’ lap, they should leap at the chance,” ESPN’s Ben Solak wrote. “Again: Adding high-impact, immediate contributors is the name of the game here. Trade up for falling players and take risks on guys with red flags on their eval — the sort of players who would have gone a round higher if not for injury history or poor production. Draft players you can envision starting — and mattering — in January football.”</p><p>Solak thinks that the Commanders should look at players such as Mykel Williams, Shemar Stewart, or Donovan Ezeiruaku if they want to improve their pass rush in the draft. If they’re looking for safety help, Nick Emmanwori and Malaki Starks were the choices that Solak thinks could be in the Commanders’ range in the draft, but it may require them to trade up.</p><h2><b>What could the Commanders be looking for in the draft?</b></h2><p>There are many different directions the Commanders can go in when it comes to the NFL Draft, and some think <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-rumors-insider-makes-familiar-prediction-about-draft-strategy">they could be looking for skill players</a>, according to ESPN’s John Keim.</p><p>“Washington would like to find a dynamic running back capable of playing on every down,” Keim wrote. “In the Commanders’ past 11 games, including three games in the postseason, their running backs averaged 3.0 yards per carry or less six times. Subpar run blocking didn’t help, but they need someone capable of creating more yards on the ground apart from quarterback Jayden Daniels. A speed receiver on the outside opposite Terry McLaurin remains an option, too.”</p><p>The Commanders could either upgrade on offense and defense, and it would bode well for the team. As of now, it’ll just be a wait-and-see approach on what they end up prioritizing.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders rumors: Washington urged to be ‘most aggressive’ team in NFL Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-washington-jayden-daniels-magic-pre-draft-field-trip');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders trying to recreate Jayden Daniels magic with random pre-draft field trip');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jayden-Daniels-at-NFL-Draft.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Commanders trying to recreate Jayden Daniels magic with random pre-draft field trip</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-15T19:00:23-07:00">April 15th, 7:00pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-15T19:00:23-07:00">April 15th, 7:00pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Commanders crushed expectations, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/commanders-most-blame-blowout-nfc-championship-game-loss-eagles">making it to the NFC Championship Game last year</a>. They improved dramatically through the NFL Draft, taking Jayden Daniels second overall. But before the draft, many people clowned the team for bringing their top quarterback prospects to TopGolf. After successfully landing Jayden Daniels, the Commanders are headed back to TopGolf <a href="https://x.com/NickiJhabvala/status/1912298653139480976" rel="noopener">with draft prospects</a>.</p><p>For those wondering, yes, the Commanders did go back to Topgolf for their group visit with 20 or so prospects this evening, per source,” Nicki Jhabvala of The Washington Post reported. “Despite the outside reaction to their joint QB visit to Topgolf ahead of last year’s draft, Adam Peters and Dan Quinn found it beneficial because players were more relaxed and they could see how players interacted with one another. The players also got individual time with coaches, just as they did this year.”</p><p>According to USA Today’s Chris Bumbaca, Daniels <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/draft/2024/04/26/jayden-daniels-topgolf-commanders-controversy/73472905007/" rel="noopener">was among 20 prospects</a> who went to TopGolf with the Commanders. Other quarterbacks, such as JJ McCarthy and Michael Penix Jr., went as well. From the second-overall pick last year to the 29th this year, the Commanders are sticking with what works.</p><p>The Commanders certainly aren’t bringing any quarterbacks to TopGolf this year. What positions are they searching for in the NFL Draft this year?</p><h2><b>The Commanders need defense in the NFL Draft</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Jayden-Daniels.jpg"><figcaption>Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>While the Commanders made it to the NFC Championship Game in January, they could still use some improvements. The NFL Draft is the place for them to improve their defense and their offensive line. With their quarterback on a rookie contract, they used free agency to their advantage. They<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/commanders-news-how-deebo-samuel-laremy-tunsil-trades-will-change-commanders-offense"> traded for Laremy Tunsil</a> and signed Javon Kinlaw, Zach Ertz, and Bobby Wagner.</p><p>The Commanders should focus on their defense in the NFL Draft. They were thoroughly embarrassed in the NFC Championship Game, allowing 55 points and seven rushing touchdowns to Saquon Barkley and the Eagles. Players like Jihaad Campbell, Donovan Ezeiruaku, and Trey Amos are all defenders projected to go at the end of the first round. Hopefully, they brushed up on their golf games.</p><p>The Commanders were considered one of the worst-run organizations in sports for an entire generation under Dan Snyder. So seeing that they were taking draft prospects golfing was easy to laugh at. But the Josh Harris team has earned the benefit of the doubt after a great 2024 season. If that means TopGolf, then Washington fans will take it.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders trying to recreate Jayden Daniels magic with random pre-draft field trip

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-2025-nfl-mock-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders 2025 NFL Mock Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Commanders-2025-NFL-Mock-Draft.jpg"></figure><h1>Commanders 2025 NFL Mock Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-15T14:01:08-07:00">April 15th, 2:01pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-15T14:01:08-07:00">April 15th, 2:01pm</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s getting close to draft day. Will the <a href="http://It%E2%80%99s%20getting%20close%20to%20draft%20day.%20Will%20the%20Washington%20Commanders%20pull%20off%20a%20trade?%20And%20will%20they%20find%20late-round%20sleepers?%20It%E2%80%99s%20time%20to%20take%20a%20look%20at%20the%20Washington%20Commanders%202025%20NFL%20mock%20draft,%20using%20the%20ESPN%20NFL%20Draft%20simulator.%20The%20Commanders%20enter%20the%20draft%20with%20key%20position%20needs%20at%20edge%20rusher%20and%20defensive%20back.%20They%20likely%20shored%20up%20the%20run%20defense%20through%20free%20agency,%20but%20need%20pass%20rush%20help%20in%20the%20draft.%20Also,%20the%20defensive%20back%20position%20remains%20questionable,%20especially%20after%20the%20less-than-stellar%20performance%20of%20Marshon%20Lattimore%20in%20a%20limited%202024%20run.%20We%20let%20the%20simulator%20spin%20for%20the%20other%20teams,%20and%20we%20picked%20for%20the%20Commanders.%20Here%E2%80%99s%20how%20thigns%20played%20out.%20Round%201:%20Edge%20rusher%20James%20Pearce%20Jr.,%20Tennessee%20This%20came%20down%20to%20an%20extremely%20tough%20call%20with%20Shemar%20Stewart%20still%20on%20the%20board%20as%20well.%20But%20the%20tiebreaker%20between%20these%20guys%20is%20speed.%20And%20that%E2%80%99s%20what%20Commanders%20head%20coach%20Dan%20Quinn%20likes%20on%20his%20defense.%20Quinn%20has%20enjoyed%20success%20with%20twitchy%20edge%20rushers%20and%20Pearce%20meets%20that%20description,%20according%20to%20Marcus%20Mosher%20of%20the33rdteam.com.%20%E2%80%9CHe's%20likely%20not%20an%20every-down%20player%20right%20away,%20as%20he%20needs%20to%20put%20on%20some%20weight,%E2%80%9D%20Mosher%20said.%20%E2%80%9CStill,%20he%20can%20bend%20around%20the%20edge%20and%20create%20havoc%20on%20opposing%20quarterbacks.%E2%80%9D">Washington Commanders pull off a trade</a>? And <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-3-sleeper-prospects-2025-nfl-draft">will they find late-round sleepers</a>? It’s time to take a look at the Washington Commanders 2025 NFL mock draft, using the ESPN NFL Draft simulator.</p><p>The Commanders enter the draft with glaring position needs at edge rusher and defensive back. They likely shored up the run defense through free agency but need pass-rush help in the draft. Also, the defensive back position remains questionable, especially after the less-than-stellar performance of Marshon Lattimore in a limited 2024 run.</p><p>We <a href="https://espnanalytics.com/draft-sim/" rel="noopener">let the simulator spin</a> for the other teams, and we picked for the Commanders. Here’s how thigns played out.</p><h2><b>Round 1: Edge rusher James Pearce Jr., Tennessee</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Tennessee-edge-rusher-James-Pearce-Jr.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>This came down to an extremely tough call with Shemar Stewart still on the board as well. But the tiebreaker between these guys is speed. And that’s what Commanders head coach Dan Quinn likes on his defense.</p><p>Quinn has enjoyed success with twitchy edge rushers and Pearce meets that description, according to Marcus Mosher of the33rdteam.com.</p><p>“He’s likely not an every-down player right away, as he needs to put on some weight,” Mosher said. “Still, he can bend around the edge and create havoc on opposing quarterbacks.”</p><p>The idea of a player gaining weight to get better against the run sounds more reasonable than a guy who couldn’t get sacks at the collegiate level. Despite his talent, Stewart totaled only 4.5 sacks over three season. That’s total. Very poor production.</p><p>Still, Mel Kiper Jr. likes <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/insider/story/_/id/44534765/2025-nfl-mock-draft-mel-kiper-two-rounds-64-picks-predictions-sanders-ward-hunter" rel="noopener">what he offers</a>, according to espn.com.</p><p>“Stewart has all the talent in the world — speed, explosiveness, and power,” Kiper wrote “If an NFL coaching staff can help him put it all together, the upside is immense. I’m betting on Commanders coach Dan Quinn unlocking that potential.”</p><p>However, Pearce sounds more like a big-play monster. And that’s what the Commanders desperately need.</p><h2><b>Round 2: WR Jayden Higgins, Iowa St.</b></h2><p>Higgins is the perfect complement to the Commanders’ offense. He’s 6-foot-4 and weighs 214 pounds. Higgins doesn’t possess great athleticism but has other elite traits. And again, this is more about fit. Putting him in the mix with Terry McLaurin and Deebo Samuel will make this offense extremely hard to defend.</p><p>He has been projected as a potential plus starter, according to nfl.com.</p><p>“Big inside/outside wideout with modest athletic attributes but outstanding ball skills that make him a projectable NFL prospect,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “Higgins needs a more limited route tree but can operate on all three levels in the right scheme. He’s smooth but physical in his routes and does a nice job of creating pockets of separation with force and strength.</p><p>“(Higgins) has mismatch qualities from the slot with body control and a catch radius that make him a menace on jump balls downfield. He won’t outrun cornerbacks and is nothing special after the catch, but his size, ball skills, and competitiveness create a profile of production as a future contributor in three-wide sets.”</p><p>Also, Higgins <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/the-beast/2025/player/jayden_higgins-wide_receiver-THkpc7pfDaXTZn6w/" rel="noopener">drew an impressive</a> Nico Collins comp from Dane Brugler of The Athletic.</p><h2><b>Round 4: RB Jordan James, Oregon</b></h2><p>There were multiple running backs on the board at this point, but James offered the best ceiling. He isn’t a home-run threat, but he’s a guy who can consistently hit the 8-to-12-yard run and keep the chains moving.</p><p>He showed a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/the-beast/2025/player/jordan_james-running_back-6tHAaLxH2ptCNeHt/" rel="noopener">great deal of effort</a> in college, according to nytimes.com.</p><p>“You can’t measure his determination with a stopwatch or measuring tape,” Brugler wrote. “He ripped off a ton of doubles but wasn’t much of a home-run threat — he ranked 10th in the FBS in carries of 10 or more yards (39) but 173rd in carries of 20 or more yards (3).</p><p>“Overall, James’ well-rounded, no-nonsense run style will translate well to the NFL game. As will his feel for maximizing runs at the line of scrimmage and making the first man miss, which he does in multiple different ways (power, balance, quickness, vision).”</p><p>ESPN had Devin Neal (Kansas) and D.J. Giddens (Kansas State) rated higher, but James is the best pick here.</p><h2><b>Round 6: CB Denzel Burke, Ohio State</b></h2><p>It’s hard to find projectable starters this late in the draft, but Burke could become an exception. Burke is versatile in his coverage, according to nfl.com.</p><p>“Productive four-year starter with the ability to press and navigate zone coverages,” Zierlein wrote. “Burke possesses NFL size and strength to slow and control the release from press. His coverage movements are smooth, but he’s not always instinctive or natural in man coverage.</p><p>“Burke struggles with change of direction as a pattern-matcher and lacks the closing burst to make up for it. He’s capable from zone but needs to prioritize the ball over the man when breaking on the throw. He’s fierce in run support and tackles with good technique to stop ball-carriers. Burke fits as a downhill zone corner with special-teams ability.”</p><p>This is type of toughness the Commanders will need in 2025 if Marshon Lattimore misses a game or two.</p><h2><b>Round 7: LB Shemar James, Florida</b></h2><p>This guy poked his head in the mix in Round 6. Therefore, since he’s still around it makes sense to round out the draft with him.</p><p>There’s potential with James, but <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/the-beast/2025/player/shemar_james-linebacker-XNdxwamJQMzOrEWL/" rel="noopener">he’ll need work</a> to become pro-ready, according to nytimes.com.</p><p>“When he accurately reads and unlocks, James plays with the speed, twitch and change-of-direction skills to make stops all over the field,” Brugler wrote. “He can flex as a blitzer but must become more consistent in his coverage drops to maximize his energetic talent.</p><p>“Overall, James needs to mature his play recognition to cut down on the missteps, but the athletic tools are there for him to become a rangy run-and-hit defender. Carving out a special teams role early in his career will be critical as he develops.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders 2025 NFL Mock Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/cleveland-browns/nfl-rumors-browns-trade-commanders-qb-espn-mock-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'NFL rumors: Browns trade up with Commanders for QB in ESPN mock draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ole-Miss-QB-Jaxson-Dart_6e143f.jpg"></figure><h1>NFL rumors: Browns trade up with Commanders for QB in ESPN mock draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-15T06:32:18-07:00">April 15th, 6:32am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-15T06:32:18-07:00">April 15th, 6:32am</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Browns</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It’s looking like the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-urged-to-trade-up-for-sec-qb-in-nfl-mock-draft">Cleveland Browns should pass on Shedeur Sanders</a>. But that doesn’t mean they <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/cleveland-browns/browns-urged-to-trade-up-for-sec-qb-in-nfl-mock-draft">should stop hunting a quarterback</a>. And in an ESPN mock draft, the Browns <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/insider/story/_/id/44601805/2025-nfl-mock-draft-three-rounds-kiper-yates-predictions-102-picks-trades-qbs" rel="noopener">traded up with</a> the Commanders to get their man.</p><p>Mel Kiper Jr. selected two-way star Travis Hunter for the Browns with their No. 2 overall pick after Field Yates tabbed quarterback Cam Ward for the Titans. That means the Browns passed on Shedeur Sanders, who went to the New Orleans Saints at No. 9.</p><p>But when the Commanders stepped into the spotlight at pick No. 29, the Browns made their move.</p><h2><b>QB Jaxson Dart lands with Browns in Round 1</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ole-Miss-QB-Jaxson-Dart.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Yates suggested the Browns to trade up and get the Ole Miss product.<br>Dart set numerous single-season and career records with the Rebels, including the Rebels’ all-time lead in wins (28), passing yards (10,617) and total offense (12,117).</p><p>“Cleveland could look to trade back into the first round if the quarterback board falls the right way, and this is a good chance to do so,” Yates said.</p><p>Kiper agreed, “Makes a lot of sense to me. The Commanders would love an extra Day 2 pick.”</p><p>Yates said the Browns couldn’t risk the Giants leapfrogging them at the start of the second round.</p><p>“He’s accurate and mobile with a big arm. And by getting him in Round 1, Cleveland would have a fifth-year option on Dart, too,” Yates said.</p><p>The 6-foot-2, 221-pound Dart <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/the-beast/2025/player/jaxson_dart-quarterback-SMjdBnXQu4j4Lguz/" rel="noopener">brings some good things</a> to the table, according to nytimes.com.</p><p>“His athleticism to buy time and scramble for positive yards is an asset,” Dane Brugler wrote. “Overall, Dart needs time to develop his progression-based reads and anticipation (things he wasn’t asked to regularly do in college), but he is a natural thrower of the football with promising mobility and high-level competitive intangibles.”</p><p>Dart received a rating as <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jaxson-dart/32004441-5273-5504-d6f2-f2d3f25131e8" rel="noopener">a good backup</a> with the potential to become a starter, according to nfl.com.</p><p>“He will need to work with better anticipation and decisiveness to win in tight windows as a pro,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “Teams might see physical and play similarities between Dart and Brock Purdy.”</p><h2>Commanders get a pair of potential standouts</h2><p>With their picks, the Commanders grabbed edge rusher Donovan Ezeiruaku (Boston College) and running back Kaleb Johnson of Iowa.</p><p>“Ezeiruaku would be terrific value at the top of the second round,” Yates wrote. “He could easily climb into the 20s as one of the best pure pass rushers in the class. More backfield depth makes sense for the Commanders, and Johnson would bring a good blend of size and power.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

NFL rumors: Browns trade up with Commanders for QB in ESPN mock draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-jayden-daniels-pays-tribute-ex-lsu-teammate-kyren-lacy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Jayden Daniels pays tribute to ex-LSU teammate Kyren Lacy with IG Story');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jayden-Daniels-and-Kyren-Lacy-embrace.jpg"><figcaption>Scott Clause/USA Today / USA TODAY NETWORK</figcaption></figure><h1>Commanders’ Jayden Daniels pays tribute to ex-LSU teammate Kyren Lacy with IG Story</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-14T12:05:18-07:00">April 14th, 12:05pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-14T12:05:57-07:00">April 14th, 12:05pm</time><address><a>Alex House</a>Alex House is a sports journalist who covers the NFL, NBA, and MLB for ClutchPoints. He grew up in a New York sports-heavy region in Connecticut and earned his journalism degree at the University of Rhode Island. His in-depth knowledge of two of the most passionate and raucous fan bases in the country gives him a truly unique writing voice.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NCAA Football</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is grieving following the news that Kyren Lacy, his friend and former LSU teammate, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/lsu-football-news-kyren-lacy-passes-away-nfl-draft">died in an apparent suicide</a> after fleeing police.</p><p>The 24-year-old wide receiver was arrested and faced potential charges of negligent homicide, felony hit-and-run and reckless operation of a vehicle after allegedly causing a crash that resulted in the death of a 78-year-old retired marine named Herman Hall. A grand jury was scheduled to hear evidence on the case starting Monday.</p><p>On Saturday night, Lacy allegedly discharged a firearm into the ground during an argument with a female family member, prompting the woman to call the police. Officers eventually pursued the man on the road, but his vehicle crashed. It is believed he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound before the car came to a stop. Daniels spent two years at Baton Rouge with Lacy.</p><p>The NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year is paying tribute to the former Tigers talent, <a href="https://x.com/JayDanielsMVP/status/1911464440219787741" rel="noopener">reflecting back</a> on the special bond they formed in college. He compiled images and clips of the 2024 Second-Team All-SEC selection, along with some heartfelt captions, via the @JayDanielsMVP X account.</p><h2><b>Jayden Daniels remembers Kyren Lacy</b></h2><p>“It was always us 4 no matter what,” Daniels wrote, referring to himself, Lacy, Malik Nabers and Brian Thomas Jr.</p><p>Additionally, Daniels showed an image of the two men celebrating a Lacy score from a game versus Texas A&amp;M in November of 2023 (same as thumbnail for this article), which marked the final touchdown pass the Heisman Trophy winner ever threw at LSU. The Commanders cornerstone also included an interview that highlighted the 6-foot-3 wideout’s “goofy” personality. The clip that will evoke the most emotion, however, is the one that calls back to a 2024 NFL Draft moment.</p><p>Kyren Lacy surprised both Jayden Daniels and Malik Nabers by congratulating them via video. They joyfully reacted by telling the Thibodaux, Louisiana native “he was next.” Daniels’ NSFW response depicts the sorrow he is currently feeling. “F****d me up {with} this one 2.”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Jayden Daniels reacts to Kyren Lacy’s tragic death through his IG story <a href="https://t.co/zlOrWvw7r3">pic.twitter.com/zlOrWvw7r3</a></p><p>— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) <a href="https://twitter.com/JayDanielsMVP/status/1911464440219787741?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><h2><b>LSU athletes mourn the loss of Kyren Lacy</b></h2><p>Daniels’ relationship with Lacy makes this a particularly difficult time for him, but Malik Nabers and other former LSU football stars are also <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/giants-news-malik-nabers-kyren-lacy-death-post">expressing their sadness</a> in the wake of the athlete’s apparent suicide. “Rest easy lil bro,” Odell Beckham Jr. posted on Instagram, <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2025/04/14/kyren-lacy-odell-beckham-angel-reese-athletes-tribute/" rel="noopener">via TMZ Sports</a>. “Lost for words,” Leonard Fournette said. “Talk to you last week.” 2023 women’s basketball national champion <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/wnba/chicago-sky/sky-news-angel-reese-reacts-former-lsu-wrs-death">Angel Reese also offered her condolences</a>.</p><p>Arizona Cardinals QB Kyler Murray reacted to Lacy’s death, while also bringing focus to Herman Hall.</p><p>“One of the saddest stories all around man, RIP to Kyren Lacy,” he posted on X. “My thoughts and prayers are with his family and the LSU community. I also want to extend my condolences to Herman Hall and his family. Everyone lost in this scenario. Hug your loved ones tight, tomorrow isn’t promised.”</p><p>Kyren Lacy’s lawyer, Matthew Ory, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-football/lsu-football-news-kyren-lacy-lawyer-calls-out-witch-hunt-investigation-after-suicide">issued a statement</a> following the news that vehemently criticized the nature of the criminal investigation concerning his client. He believes the possible charges facing Lacy should be declined.</p><p>It is unclear how the legal process will unfold moving forward, but Jayden Daniels just wants to hold on to the memories he made with his friend at LSU. “Love you brudda {for real},” No. 5 wrote.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels pays tribute to ex-LSU teammate Kyren Lacy with IG Story

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-commanders-jayden-daniels-hit-with-challenge-warning-from-andy-reid');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Jayden Daniels hit with ‘challenge’ warning from Andy Reid');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jayden-Daniels-hopes-to-follow-up-on-a-brilliant-rookie-year.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Commanders’ Jayden Daniels hit with ‘challenge’ warning from Andy Reid</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-13T16:43:15-07:00">April 13th, 4:43pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-13T19:39:09-07:00">April 13th, 7:39pm</time><address><a>Steve Silverman</a>Steve Silverman has been covering the NFL for more than 35 years, and his writing has appeared in ESPN Magazine, Bleacher Report, CBS Sports, Pro Football Weekly, and Forbes.com. He has written 10 books, including "Who's Better, Who's Best in the NFL." He has won multiple awards from the Pro Football Writers of America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-jayden-daniels-draws-scary-assessment-from-rams-hc-sean-mcvay">Washington Commanders were one of the great stories</a> of the 2024 NFL season. The Commanders finished in last place in the NFC East in 2023 with a 4-13 record and they gained the No. 2 pick in last spring’s NFL Draft as a result. They used that pick to select LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, a brilliant athlete with a strong arm who figured to ascend to the QB1 position at some point during the season.</p><p>Head coach Dan Quinn did not waste any time making Daniels the team’s starting quarterback. It paid off in a huge way as Daniels had a brilliant rookie season from both a statistical and leadership point of view. His teammates also responded to him in a huge way, as the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-rumors-insider-makes-familiar-prediction-about-draft-strategy">Commanders went 12-5</a> and earned a spot in the NFL playoffs.</p><p>Once the Commanders got to the postseason, Daniels continued to impress his fans. He led the Commanders to a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and then a shocking upset of the Detroit Lions, the team that had the No. 1 seed in the NFL as a result of their 15-2 record.</p><p>Daniels is on track to become one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL, but he still has much to prove as he enters his second season. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid explained that a number of rookie quarterbacks have had excellent opening seasons, but proving it again in the second year is often the <a href="https://www.espn.com.au/nfl/story/_/id/44618227/washington-commanders-jayden-daniels-2025-outlook" rel="noopener">key to long-term success</a>.</p><p>“The second year is a big challenge,” Reid said, per John Keim of ESPN.com. “If you can get through your second year, you got a pretty good thing going.”</p><h2><b>Daniels answered every challenge in 2024</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Andy-Reid-had-a-challenge-for-Washington-quarterback-Jayden-Daniels.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Washington quarterback started his season in ordinary fashion, completing 17 of 24 passes for 184 yards in a 37-20 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.</p><p>However, he led the Commanders to victories in his next four starts, as Washington defeated the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Arizona Cardinals and Cleveland Browns.</p><p>Daniels completed 331 of 480 passes for 3,568 yards with 25 TD passes and 9 interceptions during the regular season. He also ran for 891 yards and 6 touchdowns while averaging 6.0 yards per attempt.</p><p>He was brilliant in the playoff upset of the Lions, completing 22 of 31 passes for 299 yards with 2 TDs and no interceptions.</p><p>Reid has been considered one of the great quarterback mentors in the history of the NFL. While his prized pupil is Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, he also had great success with Donovan McNabb during his run as head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles.</p><p>His assessment of Daniels has the ring of truth, verified by his long years of experience.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels hit with ‘challenge’ warning from Andy Reid

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-news-jayden-daniels-draws-scary-assessment-from-rams-hc-sean-mcvay');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ Jayden Daniels draws ‘scary’ assessment from Rams HC Sean McVay');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Commanders-quarterback-Jayden-Daniels.jpg?w=1024"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Commanders’ Jayden Daniels draws ‘scary’ assessment from Rams HC Sean McVay</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-12T09:13:42-07:00">April 12th, 9:13am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-12T09:13:42-07:00">April 12th, 9:13am</time><address><a href="https://linktr.ee/jordan.llanes">Jordan Llanes</a>Jordan Llanes is a sports writer and reporter based in Florida. In addition to ClutchPoints, he writes for a few other publications covering the NFL, college sports and Tottenham Hotspur. When he's not writing, Jordan enjoys spending time with his fiancée, cats, family and friends, as well as catching the latest TV shows and movies, and traveling.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/commanders-news-fans-erupt-after-jayden-daniels-nfl-rookie-of-the-year-win">Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels</a> had an excellent rookie season in 2024. It was one worthy of his Offensive Rookie of the Year honors. He led his team to the NFC Championship, the first time the Commanders have been there since the 1990s. The trio of Daniels, head coach Dan Quinn and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury helped revitalize a franchise that sorely needed it. Now, <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/44618227/washington-commanders-jayden-daniels-2025-outlook" rel="noopener">the league wants to see</a> what Daniels will do for an encore. Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay had a ‘scary’ assessment of Daniels in a report from ESPN’s John Keim.</p><p>“The way he was playing the position, it sure looks sustainable,” McVay said in the ESPN report. “He has that swagger, that confidence, that enjoyment with competing … the smile, the ability to be totally immersed in the moment. That’s one of the things I loved about watching him. I don’t see that changing. … He’s going to be really scary for a long time.”</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/where-jayden-daniels-ranks-among-qbs-for-2025-campaign-after-standout-rookie-season">Daniels had arguably one of</a> the best rookie seasons ever. Not just for a quarterback, but for any position. He was undoubtedly worthy of his second overall draft selection. Now, the offense could be even more dangerous entering year two. He’s focused on improving his fundamentals and grasp of Kingsbury’s system. Furthermore, the team acquired veteran wide receiver Deebo Samuel in a trade a few weeks ago. Will these improvements lead to a potential Super Bowl run in 2025?</p><h2><b>Will Jayden Daniels lead Commanders even further in year two?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Commanders-offensive-coordinator-Kliff-Kingsbury-and-Jayden-Daniels.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Let’s take a look at the numbers. Fresh off winning the Heisman Trophy in 2023 with LSU, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/commanders-news-dan-quinn-jayden-daniels-truth-bomb-skeptics">Daniels ascended to the second</a> overall pick. Paired with Kingsbury, the Commanders offense under the duo soared to new heights last season. Quinn handled the defense, and the continued improvement of the team as the year progressed showed just how dangerous they can be.</p><p>However, the NFL now fully expects to see improvements across <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/commanders-full-7-round-2025-nfl-mock-draft-per-pfn-simulator">the board from the Commanders.</a> Daniels has focused on building on his success. Numerous head coaches, including McVay, Miami’s Mike McDaniel and Cincinnati’s Zac Taylor, spoke about just how good the reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year can be in 2025 and beyond. Will Daniels continue to improve and lead the Commanders to new heights? That is certainly the hope of not only the Washington leadership, but it seems to be for many of the league’s leaders as well.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ Jayden Daniels draws ‘scary’ assessment from Rams HC Sean McVay

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-3-sleeper-prospects-2025-nfl-draft');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ 3 sleeper prospects to target in 2025 NFL Draft');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/full_b7d5f5.jpg"></figure><h1>Commanders’ 3 sleeper prospects to target in 2025 NFL Draft</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-10T16:58:30-07:00">April 10th, 4:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-10T16:58:30-07:00">April 10th, 4:58pm</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Will the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-rumors-insider-makes-familiar-prediction-about-draft-strategy" rel="noopener">Washington Commanders follow their usual path</a> in the draft? What will it <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-full-7-round-2025-nfl-mock-draft-per-pfn-simulator">look like in the end</a>? But as they search, here are three sleeper prospects the Commanders should target for the 2025 NFL Draft.</p><p>After doing well in the free-agency phase of the NFL offseason, the Commanders could set themselves up for a big season if they snag a sleeper or two in the draft.</p><p>And with needs at the running back and edge rusher positions, they’re are two players the Commanders should attack hard.</p><p>First up is …</p><h2><b>RB Bhayshul Tuten should be on Commanders’ radar</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/full_8431a0.jpg"><figcaption>Peter Casey-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Washington needs a three-down back who can complement the running of quarterback Jayden Daniels. Fortunately, the Commanders don’t have to look very far down the road to find one. And the good news is they won’t have to spend a high draft pick to get him.</p><p>The Virginia Tech standout is 5-foot-9, weighs 206 pounds, and can flat-out run away from people. He could be <a href="https://www.the33rdteam.com/sleeper-2025-nfl-draft-prospects-who-must-be-selected-higher-than-anyone-expects/" rel="noopener">a difference-maker</a>, according to the33rdteam.com.</p><p>“Tuten looks like a super-sub back who needs a power option to complement him, but (he is) a superb athlete who is too good to take off the field often,” Ian Valentino wrote. “He effortlessly dominated his competition in the ACC after transferring from North Carolina A&amp;T and actually became more explosive despite the jump in opponent quality.</p><p>“Even in a standout group of rushers, Tuten’s movement ability is remarkable. He blazed a 4.32 40 to go with an elite 40.5-inch vertical jump and 10-foot-10-inch broad jump. Combining his elite measurables with his sixth-best yards after-contact per carry rate and breakaway rate reveals a high-end prospect who is being undervalued through this draft process.”</p><p>The common theme is Tuten lasting until Round 4. And the Commanders have a late-round selection at No. 128. They may have to trade up to snag Tuten, but it’s likely worth the jump. Teams might sleep <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/bhayshul-tuten/32005455-5406-6215-da3b-cbf31441af43" rel="noopener">on this guy</a>, according to nfl.com.</p><p>“If you spend too much time focusing on the small inconsistencies of Tuten’s college game, you run the risk of overlooking the match he is for the pro game,” Lance Zierlein wrote.</p><p>An AFC director of scouting said, “You wish he was just a little bit bigger with how physically he runs, but I really like him. He’s loosey-goosey in the open field and he gives you real big-play juice if he gets it blocked up.”</p><h2><b>Edge Tyler Baron could be a Round 4 guy</b></h2><p>The Commanders would need to maneuver their picks to get a second fourth-round selection, but again, it’s worth it.</p><p>Baron could quickly develop into a starter. He showed off his skills better in his senior year at the University of Miami than he did at Tennessee.</p><p>“The change in teams allowed Baron to be a full-time edge defender for the first time since 2021, as opposed to playing various gap assignments over the guard or directly over the tackle as a 5-technique,” Valentino wrote. “The result was Baron’s consistency and explosiveness were more on display.</p><p>“Baron’s speed off the edge is one of the most impressive traits in the entire class, and he has four seasons of quality pass-rush productivity to back that he’s more than a workout warrior. His combine was fantastic, showing off with a 4.62 40 to go with elite jumping numbers at almost 6-foot-5 and 258 pounds. Despite the good film, stats, and traits, Baron is rarely mentioned as a potential NFL starter.”</p><p>Somebody gonna drop a sleeper on the league right here. Why not make it the Commanders?</p><h2><b>Commanders could seal up their secondary</b></h2><p>They need help on the back end. And unless they spend that first-round pick on the position, they should take a long look at Zah Frazier from the University of Texas at San Antonio.</p><p>He’s the ideal match for <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/insider/story/_/id/44507247/2025-nfl-draft-latest-buzz-rumors-news-hunter-trades-mocks-sleepers#sleepers" rel="noopener">teams that run</a> zone-heavy defensive schemes, according to espn.com. And that’s the Commanders’ approach.</p><p>“His combination of height, speed, and ball skills are among the best of the late-round options in this class,” Jordan Reid wrote. “At 6-foot-3, 186 pounds, he ran a 4.36 40 and had impressive jumps (36½ inches on vertical and 10-feet-6-inches on broad).</p><p>“Frazier’s age — he’ll be 25 in October — might push him down the board, but he could quickly outplay his draft slot.</p><p>If the Commanders are going to catch the Eagles, they’ll likely need a couple of hits later in the draft. One or two of their late picks hitting could be the difference in a very tough division race.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders’ 3 sleeper prospects to target in 2025 NFL Draft

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-rumors-insider-makes-familiar-prediction-about-draft-strategy');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders rumors: Insider makes familiar prediction about draft strategy');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/full_b746e5.jpg"></figure><h1>Commanders rumors: Insider makes familiar prediction about draft strategy</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-10T11:21:26-07:00">April 10th, 11:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-10T11:21:26-07:00">April 10th, 11:21am</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/3-reasons-mike-green-perfect-commanders-fit-nfl-draft">Washington Commanders might have their eyes</a> on this edge rusher, but how the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-full-7-round-2025-nfl-mock-draft-per-pfn-simulator">rest of the draft plays out</a> remains to be seen. Still, an NFL insider made a familiar prediction about the Commanders’ draft strategy.</p><p>With pick No. 29 in the first round, there is speculation about whether the Commanders will focus on defense. Or will they be lured in by a flashy skill player?</p><p>Some insiders <a href="https://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2025/insider/story/_/id/44592479/2025-nfl-draft-latest-buzz-rumors-news-answering-questions-all-32-teams-picks" rel="noopener">think the latter</a> will happen, according to espn.com.</p><p>“They could definitely add more playmakers,” Jonah Heim wrote.</p><h2><b>Would Commanders HC Dan Quinn like a running back?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/full_e7efd8.jpg"><figcaption>Eric Hartline-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>There should be interesting backfield talent on the board when the Commanders make their first pick. In some mock drafts, Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson and North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton have both been available.</p><p>“Washington would like to find a dynamic running back capable of playing on every down,” Heim wrote. “In the Commanders’ past 11 games, including three games in the postseason, their running backs averaged 3.0 yards per carry or less six times. Subpar run blocking didn’t help, but they need someone capable of creating more yards on the ground apart from quarterback Jayden Daniels. A speed receiver on the outside opposite Terry McLaurin remains an option, too.”</p><p>If the Commanders targeted a receiver, it’s possible players like Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State) or Tre Harris (Ole Miss) could still be on the board.</p><p>However, the Commanders could look at trading down and acquiring more picks.</p><p>“General manager Adam Peters targeted players who were ready to play immediately in last year’s draft, and I expect the same this year,” Jordan Reid wrote. “Washington needs help along the defensive line, but running back might be an early play. Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler are entering the last year of their contracts.”</p><p>Washington enters the draft with other picks at 61, 128, 205, and 245. There’s a possibility the Commanders could get a running back with the No. 61 pick. Running backs potentially available in that spot include Ohio State’s Quinshon Judkins and Kansas State’s D.J. Giddens. Wide receivers in the mix could be Utah State’s Jalen Royals, Washington State’s Kyle Williams, and Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor.</p><p>Trading for standout wide receiver Deebo Samuel gave the Commanders a little more wiggle room for what they want to do in the first round.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders rumors: Insider makes familiar prediction about draft strategy

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-full-7-round-2025-nfl-mock-draft-per-pfn-simulator');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders full 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFN simulator');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Commanders-full-7-round-2025-NFL-mock-draft-per-PFN-simulator.jpg"></figure><h1>Commanders full 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFN simulator</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-07T18:11:23-07:00">April 7th, 6:11pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-07T18:11:23-07:00">April 7th, 6:11pm</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-perfect-2025-nfl-draft-trade">Washington Commanders still have room</a> to maneuver their draft position. And they may have their eye on <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/3-reasons-mike-green-perfect-commanders-fit-nfl-draft">a boom-or-bust edge rusher</a>. For now, here is the Commanders’ <a href="https://www.profootballnetwork.com/mockdraft" rel="noopener">full seven-round 2025</a> NFL mock draft, according to the Pro Football Network simulator.</p><p>However, the simulator pulled a weird deal. With top-notch edge rusher James Pearce Jr. on the board, the simulator thought the Commanders would pass on taking a guy who could transform their defense. It doesn’t make sense, but let’s see what road the simulator took for the Commanders.</p><p>Well, the first Round 2 pick didn’t make sense, either.</p><h2><b>Commanders get Jaylin Noel at No. 49 overall</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Iowa-State-WR-Jaylin-Noel.jpg"><figcaption>Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>So here’s what the Commanders get instead of Pearce. A <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jaylin-noel/32004e4f-4537-8255-74e9-bfa22151ef3a" rel="noopener">“eventual average starter”</a> according to nfl.com. But hey, maybe the Iowa State product can return kicks?</p><p>“Noel’s blend of receiving and return talent could carry more sway with teams given the league’s new kickoff rules in 2024,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “He’s primarily a slot receiver but has enough size and speed to kick outside in a pinch. His routes can be a little unfocused but that’s correctable with coaching. What can’t be coached is his consistent play speed. He can accelerate and separate from turns and stems and tends to uncover on cross-country routes.”</p><p>There are some good things. but how can the Commanders get excited about a player like this?</p><p>“The catch focus can be inconsistent, but he is willing to mix it up in the middle of the field and is a natural after the ball is in his hands,” Zierlein wrote.</p><p>The truth of the matter is the Commanders can’t afford to trade down as far as this simulator sent them. It’s a bad deal.</p><h2><b>Oluwafemi Oladejo also lands in Round 2</b></h2><p>The second pick turned out to be Oladejo. But here’s the interesting thing. Oladejo is a decent pick at No. 61 overall. He could be <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/oluwafemi-oladejo/32004f4c-4111-0743-ebea-7a82f613f94c" rel="noopener">a reasonably good</a> edge rusher, according to nfl.com.</p><p>“Linebacker-turned-edge-rusher whose draft profile might have gone from dull to dynamic with the switch, Zierlein wrote. “Oladejo is long and aggressive in attacking blockers in front of him. A lack of instincts in the run game and plans as a pass rusher could be temporary bumps in the road that should be smoothed with coaching.</p><p>“He greets and discards blockers with powerful, twitchy hands and still plays with a linebacker’s range and nose for the football despite his new position. He catches the “developmental” tag relative to his edge experience, but his traits and tape suggest he will make a difference sooner than expected.”</p><p>So let’s review. They could have gotten Oladejo regardless. But instead of Noel, they could have gotten Luther Burden III (No. 31 to the Broncos), Emeka Egbuka (No. 33 to Browns), or Tre Harris (No. 35 to Titans).</p><p>Any of those guys would have been a sizeable upgrade over Noel.</p><h2><b>Commanders pick WR in Round 4</b></h2><p>Nothing like boosting mediocrity with more mediocrity, right? The Commanders picked up Colorado State wide receiver Tory Horton with pick No. 128.</p><p>Horton has some potential, but is <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/tory-horton/3200484f-5271-4724-279c-0b867b4b01d4" rel="noopener">another unexciting prospect</a>, according to nfl.com. Also, he’s coming off an injury.</p><p>“Productive fifth-year senior and two-time team captain whose 2024 season was cut short by a knee surgery,” Zierlein wrote. “Horton is a loose athlete with quality speed and above-average cut quickness. He’s an instinctive route runner with a feel for burst timing and he rarely drops what is thrown his way.</p><p>“Big press corners are likely to slow him and take a bite out of his effectiveness, but motion and bunch formations could solve that problem. He can knife through the heart of zone defenses and is competitive at the catch point but can be overtaken on 50/50 balls by length and size. If healthy, Horton has WR3 upside.”</p><p>Wow. The upside is still mediocre. This mock draft doesn’t look very good for the Commanders.</p><h2><b>Back the edge in Round 5</b></h2><p>The simulator dropped University of Minnesota’s Jah Joyner on the Commanders. He projects as <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/jah-joyner/32004a4f-5930-2635-2a85-97b24279ee36" rel="noopener">an average backup</a> or special-teams player, according to nfl.com.</p><p>“Long-limbed edge defender with highs and lows on tape that make him a little more challenging to project,” Zierlein wrote. “Joyner is a tight-hipped, short-stepping rusher with unimpressive speed and power.”</p><p>Oh my, nothing like an edge rusher who lacks speed and power.</p><p>“His hand work is basic, but he’s resilient and creates opportunities on the edges by utilizing his length and nose for the ball,” Zierlein wrote. “He lacks a functional anchor to hold up against NFL run blockers and will need to play wide or standing until he improves his core strength and tightens up his block take-on. Joyner has traits but too many mismatched pieces in his game, which makes him a developmental prospect with a lower ceiling.”</p><p>Granted, it’s hard to find gems this late. But this draft has become a disaster because of the poor start.</p><h2><b>Commanders finally get a CB</b></h2><p>Washington needed help in the secondary, but waited until the last round to grab Mac McWilliams out of Central Florida. He <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/mac-mcwilliams/32004d43-5749-3398-68cb-69d9d9d0b102" rel="noopener">doesn’t bring a lot</a> to the table, either.</p><p>“Tenacious cornerback whose 2024 tape helped spotlight his toughness and short-area athleticism,” Zierlein wrote. “McWilliams is best in off coverages. He plays with anticipation and burst to swarm the top of the route from his pedal and is quick to pounce on zone throws.”</p><p>However, McWilliams doesn’t bring good speed or length to the position. And he’s not good at locating the ball. Ick.</p><p><i>Overall, the Commanders have a draft to forget here. Grade: F.</i></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Commanders full 7-round 2025 NFL mock draft, per PFN simulator

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nfl/washington-commanders/commanders-perfect-2025-nfl-draft-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Commanders’ perfect 2025 NFL Draft trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Commanders-perfect-2025-NFL-Draft-trade.jpg"></figure><h1>Commanders’ perfect 2025 NFL Draft trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-07T12:48:12-07:00">April 7th, 12:48pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-07T12:48:12-07:00">April 7th, 12:48pm</time><address><a href="https://matthew516sports.substack.com/">Douglas Fritz</a>Douglas Fritz has been writing about sports for almost four decades and publishes a Christian sports newsletter and podcast on Substack at Matthew516Sports. He started as a reporter for the student newspaper at East Tennessee State University, worked his way up to Editor-In-Chief, and began his sports writing career at the Johnson City Press daily newspaper while still in college. During 30-plus years at the Press, he covered University of Tennessee football, men's and women's basketball, ETSU athletics, and high school athletics. Among the people he has interviewed are Dale Murphy, Bobby Cox, John Smoltz, and Bruce Smith. He is also a Christian-based screenwriter (five feature-length and one short), book writer (three completed manuscripts and one novel), and songwriter.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NFL</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>When it comes to wheeling and dealing, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/nfl-stories/nfl-rumors-cardinals-commanders-vikings-labeled-as-likely-draft-trade-candidates">Washington Commanders are not a stranger to the process</a>. And they should have their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nfl/washington-commanders/3-reasons-mike-green-perfect-commanders-fit-nfl-draft">sights set on this player</a>. But if he’s not available, here is the Commanders’ perfect 2025 NFL Draft trade.</p><p>The Washington Commanders are in a strong position in the 2025 NFL Draft, despite not picking until No. 29 overall. And they have three options.</p><p>They could trade up and get a premier prospect to boost their defense and cornerback or edge rusher. They could stand pat and have a player fall into their lap. Or they could wait until No. 29 and see there’s nobody on the board they are overly excited about. In that case, they could deal the No. 29 pick for an early second-round selection and replace their missing third-round pick.</p><p>The good new is the Commanders won’t have to make a decision until the see how the first round is progressing. But the latter of those three choices is the best strategy.</p><h2><b>Commanders should trade down from Round 1</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-Commanders-head-coach-Dan-Quinn_818343.jpg"><figcaption>Kirby Lee-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Washington’s defense still has points of weakness and Dan Quinn knows what he needs on that side of the ball. The main thing it doesn’t have is a threatening edge rusher. Also, there are still some question marks at the cornerback position.</p><p>In order to mix it up with offenses like the Eagles have, the Commanders need to improve both areas. And there’s a chance all of the premier edge rushers will be off the board when they pick.</p><p>So this puts them in a situation where they might as well trade down. They should be able to get a quality cornerback early in the second round. And if they’re not getting a premier edge rusher, they might as well look for one of the lesser ones in Round 2.</p><p>The Browns and Giants are the most likely trade partners for that No. 29 pick. Either team could still be in need of a quarterback and might be willing to pay the price if a decent one remains on the board.</p><p>Despite moving back, the Commanders could still get a cornerback like Kentcuky’s Maxwell Hairston. Some mock drafts have the Commanders getting him in Round 1. But if they can add an extra player and still get Hairston, it’s a no-brainer decision.</p><p>Hairston’s blazing 4.28 speed makes him a great fit for a Commanders’ secondary that needs the boost. It wouldn’t be too bad to have a player in the mold of former Washington Hall of Famer Darrell Green roaming the secondary, either. NFL Draft Buzz <a href="https://www.nfldraftbuzz.com/Player/Maxwell-Hairston-DB-Kentucky" rel="noopener">likes the ceiling</a> of Hairston.</p><p>“His instincts in zone coverage are special — the way he baits quarterbacks and drives on the football,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “The thing that jumps off the tape with Hairston is his natural feel for finding the football. He’s got that rare knack for making plays that can’t be taught.”</p><p>The only thing that could cause pause for the Commanders is the failed pick of Emmanuel Forbes Jr. in 2023. Forbes’ lack of size didn’t play well in the NFL despite his college success. And that’s an issue for Hairston, too.</p><p>“Sure, his slight frame is going to give some teams pause, especially against the grown men he’ll face on Sundays,” NFL Draft Buzz wrote. “But his competitiveness at the catch point and ability to match-and-mirror in space will translate immediately to sub-package duties.”</p><h2><b>Commanders can target edge rusher at No. 61 overall</b></h2><p>According to nfl.com mock draft, James Pearce Jr. could drop all the way to No. 60. That seems like quite the stretch, but it gives hope to the Commanders that a good edge rusher would still be available this late.</p><p>One guy the Commanders might land in this spot is UCLA’s Oluwafemi Oladejo. He might be able to exceed his college ceiling because of <a href="https://www.nfl.com/prospects/oluwafemi-oladejo/32004f4c-4111-0743-ebea-7a82f613f94c" rel="noopener">a position change</a>, according to nfl.com.</p><p>“Linebacker-turned-edge-rusher whose draft profile might have gone from dull to dynamic with the switch,” Lance Zierlein wrote. “Oladejo is long and aggressive in attacking blockers in front of him. A lack of instincts in the run game and plans as a pass rusher could be temporary bumps in the road that should be smoothed with coaching.</p><p>“He greets and discards blockers with powerful, twitchy hands and still plays with a linebacker’s range and nose for the football despite his new position. Oladejo catches the “developmental” tag relative to his edge experience, but his traits and tape suggest he will make a difference sooner than expected.”</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jeremy
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