{"id":5277,"date":"2025-04-27T21:39:09","date_gmt":"2025-04-27T21:39:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/5277\/"},"modified":"2025-04-27T21:39:09","modified_gmt":"2025-04-27T21:39:09","slug":"winners-and-losers-from-washingtons-draft","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/5277\/","title":{"rendered":"Winners and Losers From Washington’s Draft"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Washington Commanders<\/a> didn\u2019t need a franchise-altering draft class like it did in 2024. The 2025 NFL Draft was about amplifying quarterback Jayden Daniels and pushing the team from America\u2019s favorite story to a true Super Bowl contender.<\/p>\n

General manager Adam Peters has largely succeeded in that endeavor. Working with limited draft capital after a series of trades, Peters\u2019 second class has been viewed favorably, addressing a handful of short- and long-term needs with just five picks.<\/p>\n

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Washington\u2019s<\/a> draft found multiple upgrades, but the unfortunate reality of the business means that for every new starter, someone else is displaced. Let\u2019s take a look at the winners and losers from the Commanders\u2019 2025 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

Winner: Quarterback Jayden Daniels<\/p>\n

Washington accomplished its goals this offseason, which meant it surrounded Daniels with better talent.<\/p>\n

After trading for receiver Deebo Samuel and left tackle Laremy Tunsil, the Commanders continued to add to the offense in Round 1. Oregon right tackle Josh Conerly<\/a> should step in as a starter, and at the very least projects as a long-term option opposite Tunsil.<\/p>\n

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With a first-round tackle at his disposal, the addition of receiver Jaylin Lane, and the arrival of running back Jacory Croskey-Merritt, Daniels is positioned for success in 2025.<\/p>\n

Winner: Washington\u2019s Edge Rushers<\/p>\n

No position was more commonly mocked to the Commanders in Round 1 than edge rusher. Dorance Armstrong Jr. headlines a mediocre unit, and there was a real chance that the unit saw improvement on Day 1.<\/p>\n

However, Washington didn\u2019t address the position at all during the NFL Draft, allowing the room to breathe a collective sigh of relief.<\/p>\n

Loser: Cornerback Marson Lattimore<\/p>\n

Where the Commanders didn\u2019t spend on the defensive line, they did spend at corner.<\/p>\n

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In Round 2, Washington drafted Mississippi cornerback Trey Amos. Peters admitted he was a potential selection in Round 1. Instead, he fell to Day 2, where the Commanders found good value.<\/p>\n

Assuming Amos sticks to the boundary, he\u2019s in line to replace Lattimore, with the veteran\u2019s play determining just how soon the second-rounder sees playing time. Across injuries and inconsistencies, Lattimore was dreadful for Washington, particularly in the playoffs.<\/p>\n

Given the $18 million in cap savings waiting for Washington if it moves on after the season, Amos figures to close in on the starting job at some point in Year 1.<\/p>\n

Loser: Running Back Austin Ekeler<\/p>\n

The life of a running back is a short one. The nature of the position and the surplus of younger, cheaper replacements means every veteran has to watch their back \u2013 especially as they approach 30 years old and have failed before.<\/p>\n

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Ekeler exceeded expectations in 2024, temporarily reviving his career in the process. However, in Round 7, the Commanders drafted Croskey-Merritt, which posed a threat to Ekeler\u2019s job.<\/p>\n

Ekeler\u2019s passing-game experience works in his favor, but Croskey-Merritt is a dynamic rusher who can make plays on special teams if given the opportunity. If Ekeler struggles and Washington feels the need to get the ball in its rookie\u2019s hands, the veteran could once again be on the brink of losing his job.<\/p>\n

Related: Commanders Draft Grade Addresses Glaring Void<\/a><\/p>\n

Related: Commanders’ New Corner Labeled ‘Elite’ Pick<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Washington Commanders didn\u2019t need a franchise-altering draft class like it did in 2024. The 2025 NFL Draft…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":5278,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[2069],"tags":[4141,4142,427,1705,7,734,594,6,15,1170,855,111,2480],"class_list":{"0":"post-5277","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-washington-commanders","8":"tag-adam-peters","9":"tag-austin-ekeler","10":"tag-commanders","11":"tag-deebo-samuel","12":"tag-football","13":"tag-jayden-daniels","14":"tag-laremy-tunsil","15":"tag-nfl","16":"tag-nfl-draft","17":"tag-trey-amos","18":"tag-washington","19":"tag-washington-commanders","20":"tag-washingtoncommanders"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/114412097660245130","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5277","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5277"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5277\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}