The Washington Commanders are on a bye this week, and it’s a much-needed respite for the burgundy and gold. They have a multitude of injuries, ranking sixth in injury impact this season. While they’ve managed to string together three wins amidst all of the injuries, none have come since a dominant Week 5 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
As the Commanders heal up and get some much-deserved rest, we are bringing you the latest ESPN mock draft by Matt Miller. Currently, the Commanders are slated to pick seventh overall, and with that pick, Miller predicts that Washington will draft Miami edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr.
The Commanders have needs along their defensive front seven, specifically at edge rusher and linebacker. Bain has three sacks, 40 pressures and a time to first pressure of 2.58 seconds this season (32nd in the FBS) despite facing constant double-teams. The 6-3 275-pounder is versatile, with the strength to align as a 6-technique along the right side of the defense and as a 3-technique in speedier defensive line packages. With Von Miller nearing the end of his career (he turns 37 in March) and Jacob Martin entering free agency, Washington needs to upgrade on the edge.
Truthfully, Washington needs to upgrade the edge now, but they’ll have to wait for the draft to address it at this point.
The 13th-ranked Miami Hurricanes are in the playoff hunt this season, and Bain is a big part of that. He has 31 tackles (13 solo), one pass deflection, three sacks, one forced fumble, and one interception. That’s the kind of production the Commanders need out of an edge rusher, and they aren’t getting it right now.
The Commanders have plenty of time to decide on who to draft with their first-round draft pick in the spring. Right now, they need to focus on getting healthy and making it through the season with their roster as healthy as possible.