The Washington Commanders had one of the NFL’s best offenses last season, led by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury and quarterback Jayden Daniels. The same couldn’t be said for Washington’s defense. While there were bright spots, such as the linebacker duo of Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, and rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil, the Commanders needed to make significant upgrades ahead of the 2025 season.

In free agency, Washington pursued players who would improve the run defense. In the 2025 NFL draft, the Commanders selected cornerback Trey Amos and linebacker Kain Medrano. Washington selected Medrano in the sixth round. The linebacker possesses a terrific combination of size (6-foot-3, 222) and speed (4.46 40-yard dash). Of course, he’s far from a perfect prospect, but Day 3 is where you take chances on productive college players with excellent size/speed measurables.

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How will Medrano fit into Washington’s plans next season? Here’s what some expert draft analysts had to say about Medrano during the pre-draft process and what Commanders fans can expect to see:

“A two-year starter at UCLA, Medrano was the Will linebacker in defensive coordinator Ikaika Malloe’s 3-3-5 base scheme. He struggled to find consistent defensive snaps over his first four years with the Bruins, but he made strides as a first-year starter in 2023 and became an impact player in 2024, finishing second on the team in tackles and creating five turnovers (three forced fumbles, two interceptions).

Medrano is a fun player to study, because of his short-area burst and range to impact the game in several ways. Slightly undersized, he is inconsistent playing through contact. The most concerning aspect of his college tape, however, is his alarming number of missed tackles, regardless of the 2024 tape studied. Overall, Medrano must better balance being aggressive and improving his discipline, but his speed and hyper-activity level will serve him well on an NFL field. His experience and traits will earn him an immediate role on special teams.”

“Sixth-year senior and team captain with two years of starting experience. Medrano’s long, lean frame is more reminiscent of a strong safety than a linebacker. He plays with good decisiveness to fill up run fits ahead of blocks, but he gets pushed around when they find him. He has average pursuit speed but above-average man-cover talent underneath. His missed tackle total is problematic, so he will need to stand out on special teams and as a dime linebacker to offer value as an undersized OLB.”

“UCLA Bruins linebacker Kain Medrano projects as a special-teams contributor at the NFL level, with the upside of becoming a sub-package defender. He should be afforded the opportunity to stack more weight onto his frame in an effort to appeal for a more traditional linebacker role.

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As he’s currently constructed, he’s undersized to play on the second level but boasts nifty coverage skills to match tight ends and running backs on passing downs. He’s a graceful player in transitions and showcases an attractive feel for working through congested traffic areas and keeping his coverage leverage when playing inside out.

He’s been a frequent special teams contributor, which should serve as his fast track to playing time at the NFL level and afford him the opportunity to make a 53-man roster while he works on his defensive profile.”

“Kain Medrano is a high-level athlete who has the potential to become a decent coverage linebacker in the NFL. He has the movement skills to be effective in man coverage and is solid at reading the quarterback’s eyes when playing zone, too.

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However, Medrano’s tackling could be his fatal flaw in the NFL. He has a bad habit of lunging or not bringing his feet, leading to far too many misses last season.

Medrano has the athleticism and speed to carve out an NFL career as a coverage ‘backer and special teams ace, but he must become a more consistent tackler for that to happen.”

This article originally appeared on Commanders Wire: What draft experts said about Commanders LB Kain Medrano