Commanders Should Consider a Running Back at No. 29

In 2024, the Washington Commanders had one of the most dominant offenses in the NFL.

Led by rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, Washington finished fifth in points scored last season. Over this offseason, the offense has gotten even better with the additions of Deebo Samuel and Laremy Tunsil, along with key re-signings of Zach Ertz, John Bates and Noah Brown.

So why would Washington even consider picking a running back with their first-round pick when there are so many holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball?

Less Pressure On Jayden Daniels

In 2024, the Commanders were the only team in the NFL whose team leader in rushing yards was not a running back. Daniels led the team in rushing yards with 891. In second place was Brian Robinson Jr., who finished 2024 with 799 rushing yards.

Towards the end of the season, it felt as if only Daniels was the one who posed a real rushing attack threat. In Washington’s final eight games (including the playoffs), Daniels was the team’s lead rusher in five of those. One of the exceptions was Week 18 against the Cowboys, when Daniels was benched at halftime for backup quarterback Marcus Mariota, who coincidentally led the team in rushing that day.

If Washington wants to do everything they can to avoid a sophomore slump for Daniels, drafting a running back at 29th overall might not be the worst idea.

Adding a True Home-Run Threat

The Commanders have not had a true superstar running back in over a decade.

Since 2015, Washington’s leading rusher has eclipsed 1,000 rushing yards only thrice. Even in those few times, the most rushing yards in that time frame was Adrian Peterson in 2018, who rushed for 1,042 yards. The last time the Commanders truly had a premium running back was Alfred Morris, who rushed for 1,613 yards in his rookie season in 2012.

This 2025 running-back class is loaded with talent. The clear consensus is that the best running back is Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty, who finished second in the Heisman voting. He more than likely will not be available for Washington unless they are willing to move up to get him. However, there are more than enough quality backs out there in this class.

One option could be North Carolina’s Omarion Hampton. He is a workhorse unafraid of contact and fights for every extra yard for the Tar Heels. Hampton is also a quality pass protector and solid receiver out of the backfield. Over the past two seasons, Hampton accumulated 3,164 rushing yards, 595 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns. He is projected as a late first-round pick, so he could very well fall to Washington at No. 29.